Noriko: The Beginning
by Aljan Moonfire
Summary: When Noriko was about to die she met the Kyuubi. To anyone who reads Naruto fics this isn't much of a surprise; but perhaps the question the fox asks her is... Features a kick ass female Naruto - obviously AU and OOC. Now being rewriten and posted as Noriko: Tails of a Fox.
1. Prolouge: The Sealing

**ALJAN MOONFIRE DOES NOT OWN NARUTO.**

Introducing...**_ Noriko: The Begining_**, as brought to you by Moonfire Productions...

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**_Prologue: The Sealing_**

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When people, responsible people that is, decide to have children, they swear that they will do all they can to protect their child. That no matter what they will always be there for them. To dry their tears when they cry, to hold them when they're cold, to pick them up when they first fall down, to watch with pride as they learn to do it for themselves. The first word, the first step, the first tantrum, the first piece of candy; when they truly want a child, parents swear in their deepest hearts to be there for it all.

Namikaze Minato, as he crouched over his newborn child, knew that with his last breath he would do something he had sworn to never do. He would break all of those promises one by one. A single tear trailing down his cheek displayed his inner turmoil to the world. As his old mentor and predecessor slowly approached him from behind he brought his hands together to begin the sealing.

"What're you doing here, Saru-jiji?" He asked, panting slightly.

"Are you sure _you_ have to do this Minato? You know very well that I could take your place." He asked over the sounds of the crying child.

Minato's hands hesitated for a moment, tempted, never taking his eyes from the bundle of cloth and infant in front of him. Then his eyes hardened and the Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure slammed his hands together to begin the fateful sequence of seals.

"No. Sandaime-sama, when I took this hat from you I promised with everything that I am that I would protect this village with my life. This sacrifice will fulfill that vow."

"But -" The Third cut himself off realizing that he would do that same in the other man's place. Bowing his head slightly, he nodded, and then made to speak, but before he could Minato instigated his last conversation.

"Saru-jiji." He swallowed harshly, "Kushina..." he trailed off.

"You already know the answer to that, Minato."

Blinking furiously, his lips tightened harshly and then relaxed a tad, knowing that he'd soon be with his beloved red-head again. He then nodded and made one last request; "Take care of her old man."

"Who?"

"My daughter. The one I will seal the Kyuubi no Kitsune into."

Surprised, Sarutobi couldn't help but ask, "I thought you two were going to have a boy."

Laughing harshly, as Minato's hands began to move, he replied, "We did too. I suppose it might be better this way in the end." Casting his gaze down to land on the now quiet child, he smiled slightly beneath the girl's solemn gaze. "I love you my daughter, my legacy. No matter what you do in the uncertain future, you are the true hero tonight, Namikaze Uzumaki Noriko. Make sure they know that too old man."

"Yes, I will."

Minato made no indication that he had heard him as he finally completed the sealing. Staggering over to his now dead wife and silent child, with his last strength he gathered he still quiet baby in his arms and pressed one last blood-stained kiss to her forehead. He whispered it on his last breath to them both, "I love you."

After a minute or so the soon to be reinstated Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, moved forward to pick up the only living being besides him on the battlefield. Holding the girl gently his eyes softened as he watched the baby begin to cry for a mother and father that would never answer her tears again. Gently running a few fingers through the tuft of blond hair on her head he patiently waited for the infant to calm down. Once she was reduced to mere sniffles, but was barely awake, he spoke.

"You will have many hardships laying in front of you, my dear. I will do all I can to help you on your journey. But first," he sighed, turning to meet the many familiar chakra signals dashing towards him, "I suppose we must go back, Noriko."

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~ Author's Note ~

*walks out onstage to much applause* 'Ahem,' The inspriation for this story hit me over the head with a sledge hammer after I finished uploading the latest chapter of 'This Time It's Real'. I really couldn't resist. I know that it seems rather generic right now but be patient with me. As indicated in the title this story will be more of a prequel than anything else. It will follow canon relatively closely, with some major twists that will be made quite apparent in the next chapter. From what I can esimate this will be quite long. I won't say anymore than that. *grins evily*, I guess you'll just have to read and find out!*wink*

*curtain closes*

~ Aljan Moonfire ~

P.S. Oh! *sticks head out from behind curtain* and don't forget to review! *retreats again*


	2. Chapter 1: Consequenses and an Attack

**_Aljan Moonfire does not own Naruto_**

"Speaking"

'Thinking'

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**_Chapter 1 -_**

**_ Consequences and an Attack_**

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As he stepped into the room he was immediately bombarded with questions and demands from the civilian half of the council. Half ignoring them he made his way to the Hokage's seat and sat down in the comfortable chair with relief. Adjusting the precious burden in his arms, he sighed and then turned his attention back to the people before him.

"Silence." Taking a deep breath in the sudden silence, he then continued, "Now then, shall we get down to the _important_ business." He directed the subtle barb in the direction of those who had been complaining the loudest.

"We are currently without a leader. I take it that since no one has objected to me taking this seat," he glanced in Danzo's direction, "we are in agreement. I shall resume office as the Third Hokage. A show of hands to make it official then, shall we?"

"All for?" He was immediately answered with a unanimous positive response.

"All against?" No one made any response to the question they all knew was a mere formality at this point. Then Danzo raised a hand for permission to speak.

"Hokage-sama," he said without inflection, "Why have you brought a child, what looks to be a newborn at that, to the Council Chamber?" The bandaged man had his suspicions, but wanted to be sure before voicing his request. The question however, was mirrored in the faces of the other members of the council.

'Straight to the point as always, eh, Danzo?' He thought before tilting his head to look down at the tuft of blonde hair and whiskered cheeks of the child in his arms. He then returned his attention to the expectant faces before him and spoke, "This child, Uzumaki Noriko," the eyes of the few who knew the importance of that last name widened and continued to widen as he continued, "is now the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, and the true hero this night. Namikaze Minato, our Fourth Hokage, gave up his life to seal the monster into this child mere hours ago."

The most important part of his speech was immediately ignored by the civilian part of the council as they all began to speak at once, eyes wide with shock and fear. As they blurted out their thoughts with no regard to the policies that had governed the council since its establishment, Sarutobi's eyebrow began to twitch as he started leaking killer intent.

"What! How -"

"That Thing is -"

"That child can't -"

"Why did you bring it -?"

"So the monster took the form -"

"We must kill it! Immediately!"

At the last (particularly loud*) comment Sarutobi stood to his full height and unleashed the full force of his personality on the clamoring idiots in front of him. "Once again, SILENCE!" Glaring around the suddenly silent room Sarutobi took a deep breath and continued where he had left off. "This child, mere hours old, is **not** the Kyuubi no Kitsune." Glancing at the, at least till now, silent shinobi part of the council he elaborated. "Think of it as if Noriko is a sealing scroll and the Kyuubi a kunai. Even if the kunai is sealed into it, the scroll does not become the kunai at all. It's a vastly simplified explanation, but I'm sure you get the point. Noriko is Noriko, and the Kyuubi is the Kyuubi."

Raising his hand into the silence, Danzo requested speech again. At Sarutobi's nod he began to speak. "That much is obvious to anyone with anything beyond rudimentary seal training, which **should** be every shinobi here." At this he gave the relaxing clan heads and his fellow advisors a rather pointed glare, getting a few sheepish shrugs in return. "However, you are wrong in saying that she is not a weapon. To be a Jinchuuriki is to be a weapon. Give her to me and I will train her to be stronger than even Tsunade could dream of being," he said, a greedy glint in his eye.

"No. She will grow up as normally as possible and enter the academy when she is deemed ready to learn the ninja arts. Minato expected that she would be treated as a hero, not as something less than human. We will follow his request to the letter." Looking around the room to gauge the reaction of the rest of the council, he saw acceptance in the faces and body language of the shinobi (except for the Aburame clan head, but that was to be expected); though the heads of the Hyuuga and Uchiha clans, Hyuuga Hiashi and Uchiha Fugaku respectively, both sported their typical unreadable and arrogant frowns.

The civilians though, even as they attempted to keep their faces blank and neutral, their eyes and body posture betrayed their thoughts. Cold eyes glared at the bundle he still held in his arms, the way they held themselves betraying their disgust, horror, fear, hatred and indifference. He made a split second decision, as he frowned at the civilians.

"This will be an SS-Class secret, punishable by death if spoken of. It may be revealed only by me and, when she gets older, Noriko herself, without punishment. This rule is now law. Any who are caught breaking it will be immediately executed."

Raising his hand, at the Third's nod, Hyuuga Hiashi began to speak, "If I may, Hokage-sama, I can see the red chakra of the Kyuubi in the seal on the girl's stomach. Any of my clan who have activated their bloodline will be able to do the same. May I have permission to tell them the truth should they ask about it?"

"No. You will tell them that it is a special condition; you may even refer to it as a bloodline if it would help, that only Noriko has and that they, by order of the Hokage, are never to speak of it. This goes for all clans that are able to distinctly sense chakra." He looked pointedly at the Inuzuka, Aburame, and Uchiha clan heads.

After closing his eyes for a moment he slowly sat back down. "I will give you until tomorrow to organize your thoughts and the things we will need to go over as a group. You are dismissed."

Sighing he watched the members of the council removed themselves from his line of vision. He could only hope that this would help her as she grew up. Somehow he felt as if he had just made his greatest miscalculation. He quickly shook off the feeling.

.-.

"What?"

As he quailed beneath the furious gaze of the man before him the masked Anbu could only think of how much he hated playing the messenger. Almost as soon as the council meeting was dissolved one of the civilian members had immediately returned to his home and told his clan, as well as everyone he met along the way, the truth of how the Kyuubi was defeated.

They had attempted to do as much damage control as possible but it was impossible to stop the rumors from spreading. He knew that by the next morning everyone old enough to understand** would know the truth of what had happened to the Kyuubi. However, only those of chuunin rank and above would be able to completely realize the difference between the Kyuubi and Noriko.

Standing from his position behind his desk and quickly moved toward the Council Room, the rather shell-shocked ANBU trailing behind. "What have they done with the instigator?"

Snapping to attention the man adjusted his sheep mask and replied, "He was taken to Ibiki."

"Good." Giving a brief, menacing smirk, the Sandaime gave his orders. "Once you have the identity of everyone he told, execute him." Throwing open the doors of the Council Room, the God of Shinobi left his subordinate to follow his orders.

.-.

Collapsing into the unreasonably comfortable chair behind his old/new desk Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a weary sigh as he looked around the room. It had been a mere four years since he had last sat here. Looking around the office, he realized that this room was no longer truly his. The way the paperwork*** was organized, the objects on the shelf a few feet away, the pictures on the desk; none of it was his. What brought it home the most was the unsmiling photograph of his successor/predecessor on the wall across from him.

With saddened eyes he simply gazed at the serious picture of the Fourth Hokage for a moment, remembering the meeting he had just escaped from. He sighed again and then spoke out loud, "You would be so disappointed in this village, Minato. I know I am. But if I want to protect her as much as I can I suppose this is all I can do. I am so sorry."

Blinking, he shook his head at his reminiscing and stood turning to look out over the village and into the rising sun. After they took care of most of the problems that resulted from that disaster it seemed almost inevitable that things would just go downhill from there. The civilians were almost completely against Noriko and nothing he could say seemed to change their minds. However, he knew that the rest of the council would be more subtle with their dealings. Noriko would have to have a guard almost 24/7.

He almost wanted to scream at them that they were doing this to their ever so beloved hero's child, but knew that would make things even worse. After all Minato had had many enemies, both outside and inside the village, that would take any chance to get back at him; even if he was now dead. It might even turn some of his shinobi against both him and the child and that must be avoided at all costs.

Since he couldn't reveal her heritage to the council without grave consequences Noriko was considered a civilian and thus under the care of those that hated her most. He would have to send her to a public orphanage instead of keeping her with him as he had first intended. All of his students were out of the village at this point so he couldn't even entrust her upbringing to one of them. Sighing, he turned back to his desk, and picking up a pen began to get to work. '_I am so sorry..._'

.-.

Uzumaki Noriko was a precocious child, and very intelligent too. She knew that she was different from the other children she saw around the village. Other children were coddled and held when they cried. She was ignored. Other children played without a care in the world; she had to worry about where her next meal would come from.

The biggest difference that she sees however was in how differently they were treated by the people of the village. Other children were greeted with indulgent smiles and snuck free candy when parents weren't looking. Whenever a villager caught sight of her the hairs on her neck stuck up and she couldn't help but flinch back from the cold glare that looked past her as if she didn't even exist.

She hated it.

So she smiled and laughed and hoped that if she acted like any other child her age that maybe they would see _her._

But Noriko was smart and almost six years old and she knew she was different.

.-.

He could only watch as the abomination that still defiled his home skipped merrily down the street, a smile on its face as it ignored the harsh glares of the surrounding populace. He ground his teeth together, glaring just as harshly himself. His entire family, aside from himself of course, had been killed when the Kyuubi had first broken through the wall of the village.

He would forever worship the ground the Fourth walked on, were he still alive, for stopping the monster and sealing it into such a vulnerable form so he would be able to take his own revenge on the beast. That the form it took mirrored the Fourth's own coloring so closely merely rubbed salt in an already open wound.

No matter though; the anniversary of the Kyuubi's defeat at the beginning of the next month would herald the first festival of such and would also provide the perfect opportunity to finish it off. Smirking evilly, he turned and disappeared down the alleyway. There were preparations to be made after all.

.-.

Hanging out the window of the apartment that she had been given earlier that day by Saru-jiji, Noriko grinned as she watched the fireworks light up the sky. Jiji had told her that it wasn't safe for her to leave the apartment today day and she believed him. Jiji was the smartest old person she knew after all! All the other ones couldn't do anything but glare. Except for Teuchi-ji of course. Ichiraku ramen is the best! Sighing, she pouted slightly. The fireworks were almost over and she was really curious about what a festival looked like. She had never been to one before, though Ayame-nee had told her stories.

Glancing down she was taken slightly aback to see a person standing in front of her building. She thought that everyone would be at the festival by now. Except for her of course. Staring slightly, her eyes widened in surprise as she watched more shadowy figures join the first. As they lit torches and moved towards her building in a steadily gathering mob she backed away from the window and looked around frantically for an escape route or a place to hide. Finding nothing she dashed into her room and dove under the bed, hoping beyond hope that they weren't there for her.

.-.

Flinging open the door to the topmost apartment, the man turned and shouted down the hall to the rest of the mob, "Hey! I think I found it!"

"Are you sure, Yaji?"

"Yeah, Kearo, so come on!"

.-.

Shaking under her bed, Noriko shoved herself as far up against the wall as she could. Eyes wide with unshed tears, she squeaked involuntarily in surprise as another pair of eyes suddenly glared into hers. A sick grin spread across the face of the man that had invaded her room.

"Found you!"

.-.

"Found you!"

As he pulled the little monster out from under the bed, Yaji couldn't help but be disgusted with rather pathetic appearance it took. "Trying to play on our sympathies, eh? Well it won't work, you monster!"

Pulling two kunai from inside his jacket the other man gave a cruel smirk. "Can't have you running away on us now can we, Kyuubi?"

As Yaji pinned the small body to the ground, Kearo shoved the kunai through its palms. The rest of the mob began pouring through the apartment, trashing whatever they found and preparing to join in on the torture.

The mob continued to attack her for next half an hour with anything they could find that might hurt her. Finally, they stepped back as the two that had crucified her on her bedroom floor came forward.

"As enjoyable as all this is, we don't have much time left." Said the one previously referred to as Kearo.

Roughly tearing one of the kunai from her mangled arm, and only getting a choked off whimper in response, the other continued; "So now you will die, DEMON!"

As the kunai rapidly descended to slash into the girl's unresponsive eye – Noriko woke up.

.-.

And was very surprised to find herself in a sewer. She could have sworn she was about to die. As she sat up the water reached her chest and she looked around in confusion. Strangely, the water didn't feel cold at all. She couldn't smell anything either. Looking around the girl was surprised at how rundown the walls looked, even if they were still standing strong. Glancing up she was taken aback by the glowing pipes that snaked all over the ceiling.

Suddenly noticing the glowing intersection a few yards away she trotted towards it, her feet not making a sound in the still strangely still water. Pausing in the center of the bright florescent light, Noriko then chose a path at random, not knowing that in this place every way leads to the Cage.

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* - Incidentally, said council member just so happened to have pink hair.

** - That would be everyone that's six or so years old.

*** - His old enemy looked to be as invincible as ever if the immense piles of it were any indication.

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~ Author's Note ~

Maa, the first chapter. Almost 3,000 words all told. I hope you all like it. I don't have a beta so I apologize for any mistakes. Some reveiws indicating _something _would be nice anway. *hint*hint* We'll get to the good stuff next chapter, I promise.

Here's a sneak-peak to that effect anyway -

_As he looked through the two way mirror at the young girl clad only in a hospital gown and baandages and blankets, Sarutobi could only think of broken promises and broken trust and the fire that still enveloped the aparment buliding on the other side of town. _

_Once again, he had failed._

Review!


	3. Chapter 2: The Proposition

_**Aljan Moonfire Does Not Own Naruto**_

"Normal Speaking."

'_Normal Thinking_'

"**Demonic Speaking.**"

'**_Demonic Thinking._**'

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**_Chapter 2 –_**

**_The Proposition_**

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Noriko, beyond bored by now, began humming a nursery rhyme one of her old Anbu guards had taught her under her breath as she continued to wander down the never ending and never changing hallways that stretched endlessly both in front of and behind her. Then she suddenly noticed a light in the distance. Wanting to escape her gloomy surroundings she raced towards it as fast as she could and was surprised when she suddenly stumbled into yet another lighted intersection.

Confused she looked around and was then distracted by a hallway that instead of disappearing into the darkness was obscured by a light she couldn't see beyond. Warily walking forward, she squinted her eyes shut and then made to open them again as the glare died down.

"**I was not expecting this. Not yet anyway.**"

Surprised by the unexpected voice the girl looked around, trying to find the source of it. While low and unmistakably rumbling with power, the voice was somehow undeniably female as well. Still confused the girl took a step back once she got a good look at her surroundings. In front of her stood an immense gate that she couldn't even see the top of sealed by only a slim piece of paper with the kanji for seal scribbled on it.

"**Well? What are you just standing there for, girl? Come closer.**"

The command in the voice was unmistakable. Instinctively obeying, the child slowly moved closer to gate, and was scared out of her wits by a sudden roar that sent her tumbling ass over teakettle to land in the space she had just moved from with a splash.

Sitting bolt upright in the still chest deep water the little girl had an almost comic expression of pure terror on her face. As the voice burst into to low pitched laughter she relaxed a bit but then froze in terror all over again at the sight that greeted her from the shadows beyond the slowly lightening gate.

Slowly stepping forward, an immense creature with unmistakable nine tails swishing and curling behind it met her gaze as its chuckles intensified once again. "**Heh hahaha! You should have seen the look on your face! I have not had a laugh that like that since…well, I actually can not remember the last time I laughed like that.**"

Regaining some of her composure the girl, still slightly wide eyed stared in shock at what could only be the Kyuubi no Kitsune. "What," She muttered, and then louder, "What the hell is going on! I –"

"**Relax kitling. I have been here your entire life. You are the vessel of the Lord of all Kitsune. The Nine-Tailed Bijuu. You are, and always have been the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. I am sure some things make a hell of a lot more sense now, don't they.**"

Looking back on her life so far, especially the last hour or so of it she couldn't help but agree. "Yeah," she said softly, sadly. "But, why were you sealed in me? I thought the Yondaime had killed you?" She practically threw the questions at the massive creature.

"**There were a few reasons behind it from what I can understand. The first is that it is impossible to kill a Bijuu. Even if you do manage to disperse our forms we simply reappear somewhere else in the world; and I am the most powerful one. Your father knew that, so he sealed me inside of you at the cost of his own life.**"

"Wait a minute! My father? Are you saying that the Yondaime was my father? Do you know who my mother was as well?"

Looking down at the desperate face of the child in front of her the Kyuubi's eyes softened almost imperceptibly and she replied, "**Your mother was named Uzumaki Kushina before she married your father in secret. She was one of my Jinchuuriki. I have never been sealed in anything but an Uzumaki. Your father was, as you have guessed, Namikaze Minato: the Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure. When I was extracted during your birth I was immediately put into a berserker state and forced to attack Konoha.**"

Sighing, the giant fox sat back on her haunches and continued, "**Namikaze had no choice but to seal me into you. No other child could have handled the strain. There was also the fact that as long as he had a choice he could not ask someone else to sacrifice something he himself was not willing to give. I can respect that; which is the only reason I do not completely hate his guts for sealing me into a human. Again.**"

Nodding in a sort of dumbstruck understanding, Noriko collapsed back into the water. Shocked anew by the sensation she asked another question of the fox. "By the way, where are we anyway?"

"**This is your mindscape. It is a reflection of your consciousness. Its state is a direct reflection of your mental health. Considering what it looks like I am surprised you are not completely insane.**"

Eyes wide the blonde child took another look at her surroundings, shocked for a different reason this time at its state. Realizing that it was probably the fault of her treatment at the villagers' hands she suddenly remembered what exactly had been going on with her body in the outside world. "Kyuubi…" she hesitated for a minute before just blurting it out, "am I dead?"

"**No. If you were you would not need to ask. However, you soon will be if we do not take some rather drastic measures.**" The fox said in a rather unconcerned tone.

"What! Why didn't you tell me that in the first place! We're just sitting here talking and I'm about to die!" the girl screamed rather hysterically. "Why –" the girl then cut herself off and said in a rather irritated manner, "Why aren't you panicking too!" As she met the amused gaze of the rather massive creature behind the bars she attempted to scowl but it came out as a rather cute pout instead.

"**Because we have some time to think about what we are going to do first. I would not panic too much if I were you. It is really not worth the effort. Why do you not you try to change this place into something a little more comfortable while I change into a more convenient form?**"

Not being able to do anything but stare after the massive figure that was retreating into the gloom beyond the cage for a few seconds the girl then regained her composure and yelled after it. "And just how am I supposed to do that?" and then huffed and muttered under her breath, "Stupid, lazy fox."

"**I heard that.**" Jumping at suddenly being face to teeth with the being imprisoned inside of her Noriko gave a sheepish smile.

"Heh heh heh, heard what?"

Cocking her massive head the fox snorted, making the girl fall back on her butt in the uncomfortable water. Narrowing her eyes slightly in amusement at the impudent kit, the fox just made to turn back into the cage before replying. "**It is your mind, kit; do what you want with it.**"

.-.

As soon as the giant fox left her line of sight the girl flopped back down into the water, sighing with relief. Now that she finally had time to relax the events of the day came rushing back to her in a rush. Waking up on her birthday, meeting Jiji, getting some celebratory ramen from Ichiraku's, and then ignoring the looks that most of the villagers gave her as Saru-Jiji took her to her new apartment. Watching the fireworks by herself and then… She avoided thoughts about what had happened next.

She really hoped that the fox had a good reason for being so blasé about all this, but she couldn't help but worry. Was she really about to die? She then thought about the revelations that had hit her one after the other, keeping her totally off balance. She couldn't help but wonder if that was the beast's intention with throwing all of that in her face. The Yondaime was her father? Who would have ever guessed? She could hardly believe it even now.

Then she frowned again. Who could have guessed? She bet Jiji knew. He was the Hokage after all; how could he not have known? She was going to have to have a long talk with him when she got out of this mess. She'd think about the rest of it later.

She then shook her head and turned to the original task set in front of her. "So, I just have to want it enough then?" She asked herself. She then frowned in concentration, closing her eyes and focusing on the most beautiful things she could think of. Snow and sakura petals drifting gently through the air came to mind.

She then opened her eyes and gasped with delight. She now sat in an expansive field that she could just barely see the edges of. It spread out from around her in a far-reaching plain. At the farthest edges of her vision she could just barely make out the towering dark forest surrounding it. Snow covered the ground in an even and untouched blanket without a single blemish. When she moved she didn't even leave a trace where she'd been.

Looking through the gently falling snow, she glanced up when a flash of the palest pink caught her eye. Towering above her was an immense sakura tree in full bloom. The branches spread out and up from the massive trunk, unhindered by gravity. She knew that even ten of her wrapping her arms around the trunk wouldn't encircle it and from where she was standing she couldn't even make out the top of the tree. Collapsing into the soft snow as she looked around in awe, she was surprised to notice that the snow was just as temperature-less as the water had been before.

After an endless moment spent admiring her handiwork she snapped out of her half trance and moved to lean her back against the tree as she waited for the Kyuubi to return.

.-.

After she had shifted to a mostly human form the Kyuubi snorted and stretched. While this was one of her more favored forms it always took awhile to work the kinks out after a prolonged amount of time in her natural form.

As the snow reached her and started falling she materialized a blood-red yukata that complimented the reddish-orange of her fur and wrapped it around herself. Curling her only visible tail around her waist until it resembled a sash she used it to secure the garment around her waist and sighed.

Turning in the direction she instinctively knew was her vessel's main consciousness she gave a slight smile at the sight of the massive sakura tree in full bloom.

"**I suppose the next move is mine. I hope she will accept the offer though. Everything rides on her answer at this point.**" She then gave another sigh and began a leisurely stroll towards the now sleeping form of Uzumaki Noriko.

.-.

"**Noriko. Noriko, wake up.**" Waking up to the sound of someone calling her name Noriko rubbed her eyes clear and yawned. Glancing around for whoever had called her she was surprised at who she found kneeling next to her.

She looked to be around twenty years old had long reddish orange hair that pooled around her waist where she sat next to her. She wore a blood-red yukata that was secured around her waist with a silky sash the same color as her hair. What really caught her attention though were the red eyes with slit black pupils and the small fox ears that poked cutely through the hair on the top of her head.

Eyes wide with slight awe she immediately guessed who this was. "Kyuubi?"

Tilting her head with a slight smirk and an almost imperceptible twinkle of mischief in her eye said kitsune replied, "**Yes, little one?**"

"Is that really you?"

"**Yes it is kit. Now then,**" the kitsune's face smoothed seriously, the twinkle disappearing from her eye and the smirk from her mouth, "**we need to discuss how we are going to survive the next few hours. I –**"

"The next few hours? What –"

'_**I had almost forgotten I was dealing with some one who has just reached their sixth year.**_' Eyebrow twitching in slight irritation at the interruption the Kyuubi interrupted the young girl in turn. "**Yes, the next few hours. Now, as I was saying, I have a proposition for you.**"

Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, suddenly remembering just who, or what, it was she was conversing with Noriko replied warily, "What kind of proposition?"

Smiling slightly in approval of the suspicious nature of the child the woman replied in a serious manner, "**Will you become my Heir, Noriko?**"

.-.

Meanwhile, mere minutes before the mob prepared to finish of Noriko, Sarutobi Hiruzen dashed from the Hokage tower with a contingent of Anbu falling in behind. He was heading directly towards Noriko's last known location, the apartment building he had just given her for her birthday.

'_I can't believe this! How could the paperwork for Noriko's guard shift get so muddled? She's been alone and without a watcher for almost half an hour now! How could this have happened!' _he thought franticly.

He had his suspicions though. The civilian council had been far too quiet lately. After managing to secure a few minor concessions from him almost a year ago they hadn't voiced anything but the usual complaints that could be brushed off with impunity. While for once Danzo didn't seem to have his hands in it that might be the only blessing here.

If Noriko was hurt he'd never be able to forgive himself. As he jumped from building to building towards Noriko's apartment he could only hope that the sinking feeling he had in the pit of his stomach was unwarranted.

.-.

Blinking slowly in shock, Noriko stared dumbly at the form the Kyuubi had taken. "Become…your…heir?" She slowly repeated what had just been said, the words not quite registering.

Waiting patiently for the small girl to regain her composure the Kyuubi nodded in confirmation. "**Yes kit, My Heir.**"

Ever so slowly the girl tilted her head in slight confusion, "An heir is like a successor, right? Someone you bequeath everything to when you die, right?" Noriko said this rather blankly.

"**Yes…**" The kitsune replied carefully, not quite sure where the child was going with this.

"And you want _me_ to be _yours_?" the girl's eyes had mostly cleared of their dumbfounded shock and stared straight at the fox, looking for any kind of deception in her eyes and movements.

"**Yes.**" That was one thing the Kyuubi was now sure of.

"Why!"

"**Because I, we really, have no other choice, Noriko.**" The Kyuubi cast regretful eyes down to meet the human child's questioning gaze and then looked away, bringing her hand up to rest on the slim black collar that was wrapped around her neck and had somehow gone unnoticed until now. "**You are about to die and I, I, am facing what could be the end of my existence as well.**"

Noriko's eyes widened in surprise once again at this pronouncement, "What do you mean by that?" She asked tensely.

The Kyuubi gave a sigh and began to explain; knowing that to hold back relevant information at this point would only hinder what she was trying to do. "**I mentioned it be fore, did I not? That I have had previous Jinchuuriki?**"

Settling in for what promised to be a rather long story Noriko nodded in confirmation. "Yes. You said that my mother was one," she prodded.

"**Yes, I did. But this starts a bit beyond that and directly involves the first leader of this rotten village.**"

Ignoring the slur to the village, after tonight she could kind of understand that point of view, she had to question that last. "You mean the Shodaime?"

"**Yes, of course,**" she absently confirmed. "**I had been summoned by Uchiha Madara and forced against my will to help him battle Senju Hashirama, your Shodai, at what would later come be known as the Valley of the End. It was a fierce battle; I'll admit that much, and one of the finest I had ever seen as fought by humans. In the end though Madara lost and ended up just barely managing to escape with his life.**

"**However, in order to do so he had to abandon me to the Senju's tender mercies. The Senju's wife was an Uzumaki, Uzumaki Mito, and she was a master of sealing techniques. As the Senju subdued me with his Mokuton jutsu the woman sealed me into her own body. I will not explain the mechanics involved except that if Mito had died while I was sealed in her I would have simply been freed.**"

Noriko relaxed back into the snow as the story continued, forgetting for a moment just who was telling the story and enjoying the first time someone had ever taken the time to tell her something about themselves.

"**But the woman knew that as well, and so, almost sixty years later, when she realized she would soon die, she summoned her great niece, your mother, from ****Uzushiogakure**** to become my next vessel. Kushina was no more than five or six years old at the time, I believe."**

"**The transfer **_**was**_** successful however and a few weeks later, after they had confirmed there were no apparent problems, Kushina entered the Konoha Ninja Academy. It was there that she met your father for the first time.**"

"**They had used the same seal on your mother that Mito had used on herself; it just was a bit more secure and not quite as rushed. As such the same rule applied; had she died I would have been free. Now as your mother and father grew up and eventually fell in love she taught him a few of the Uzumaki sealing techniques. He used quite a few of the concepts involved to eventually develop the seal that binds the two of us.**"

As the kitsune stopped to reflect on this Noriko looked up at her eagerly, excited to be learning something about her parents, "What happened next?" she asked, hoping to get the fox to continue.

Giving the young girl curled up next to her an amused look at the unsubtle prodding the Kyuubi obliged, "**And so it eventually came to be that you were conceived. This was celebrated mightily by your mother and father and the others that knew of your impending birth. However it also brought up a few problems for them. A Jinchuuriki's seal is most unstable at two points of their life. During childbirth and just before death. I am sure you understand.**"

"**Just after your mother had birthed you and had yet to recover she and your father were interrupted. I am still not sure how but that imbecile, Uchiha Madara, managed to survive the years from his defeat to then, but he did. Managing to temporarily distract your father by putting your life in danger he then, while your father was ensuring your safety and your mother was too weak to fight him off, ripped open the seal and set me on Konoha.**"

"**I must admit that I do not remember much after that. I vaguely remember fighting and crushing buildings and people beneath my paws but that is about it. The next thing I knew I was once again sealed, this time inside of you, and have I have spent the last few years analyzing this seal.**" She finished tugging sharply on the collar again.

"I see," said Noriko, reflecting on all that the fox had said. "But that doesn't explain why you're about to die too."

"**This seal is easily one of the most complex I have ever seen,**" the Bijuu said in admiration. "**It has multiple functions, but there are only two that are very important right now. The first is that this seal forbids me from doing anything that may cause you harm, directly or indirectly, unless it is to save your life. The second binds our very souls together making it so that when you die I too will cease to exist.**"

"**However there is a slight loophole, one your father either overlooked or never thought I would be desperate enough to use. I can give you my power. You would become a Kitsune, probably the most powerful to ever exist. You would live for thousands of years and take up my position as the most powerful of the Bijuu when in this dimension.**"

The vixen then took a deep breath and repeated the question she had asked earlier, "**Will you become my heir, Noriko?**"

The girl was more than slightly overwhelmed by the weight of what the fox was asking, but if there was one thing she had learned from her life so far it was that there was always, _always_, a catch. "So, what's the catch then, Kyuubi?"

'_**Smart girl…**_' "**You will not get all of this at once, and even then it won't necessarily be my power you are absorbing. While I do have nearly infinite stores of chakra, that will not be what I am giving you. In order to inherit what I am I will, one by one, when I think you're ready, be giving you my tails.**"

"Your…tails?" asked the girl, confused.

"**Yes, my tails. My tails are what make me what I am. They represent what I am, as a Kitsune and as a Bijuu. You will have to gain your own experience with them and master them yourself though. However, when the time comes for you to absorb my final tail, you will have ten of them.**"

"Ten? But you only have nine, right?"

"**Yes, but you eventually will develop the tenth and ultimate tail from your own, what used to be human, chakra. But you will have to work very hard to earn this. I will not hand my tails over to a weakling. I will only transfer them to you when I deem your body and mind ready to handle the strain; and even then it will hurt more than you can imagine.**"

The Kyuubi then closed her eyes asked for the last time, "**Will you, Namikaze-Uzumaki Noriko, become the heir of all that I am?**"

The girl thought about it for moment, weighing all the pros and cons she could really understand, and then gave a firm nod; resolve shining in her clear blue eyes. "Yes. I will."

.-.

As the Sandaime reached the apartment complex all he could do was watch in shock and awe as it was engulfed in a towering pillar of flame. The heat was so intense he could feel it giving him light burns from where he stood on top of the next building. He jumped down to land in the street before the building, his ANBU guard following closely.

Staring at the roaring flames he was almost ready to mourn the loss of his favorite blonde when he detected a slight movement within the fire. It slowly resolved itself into a small figure dragging a larger one behind as it calmly walked out of the collapsing building. It then took a few staggered steps towards Sarutobi and he raced to catch it as it tripped over a loose stone.

Supporting what could only be the girl child that he had been so worried about against himself, he stood again, scooping the child into a bridal style carry against his chest. Seeing that she was still just barely conscious he tilted his head downwards to hear what she was trying to say.

"Sorry…about…the apartment…Saru…Jiji."

Shaking his head in amusement at what the girl had said, his eyes then widened at the amount of damage there seemed to be to her body. "What has happened to you?"

Getting no answer from the now completely unconscious child he turned briefly to order his subordinates to take care of the clean up and then rushed in the direction of the Konoha General Hospital.

.-.

As he looked through the two way mirror at the young girl lying lifelessly on a hospital bed, clad only in a hospital gown and bandages and blankets, Sarutobi could only think of broken promises and broken trust and the fire that still enveloped the apartment building on the other side of town.

And he knew that, once again, he had failed.

* * *

~ Author's Note ~

Another month, another chapter. Here is the second chapter of my first Naruto story and it's the longest chapter I've written so far, over 4,000 words all told. I hope you all liked it and I appologize for any mistakes in the grammar. I will try to update again soon, but I'm not making any promises there, **especially if I don't get even a single review** for all my hard work ***pointed glare***.

On another note though, Happy (belated) Halloween!

**REVIEW PEOPLE!**


	4. Chapter 3: The Aftermath

_**Aljan Moonfire does not own Naruto...**_

"Speaking."

'_Thinking and Mental Conversations.'_

"**Demonic Speech.**"

_**'Demonic Thinking and Mental Conversations**_.'

_Flashbacks_

* * *

_**Chapter 3 – **_

_**The Aftermath**_

* * *

As she opened her eye the girl took a deep breath and then immediately let it out with a soft _whoosh_ of air. Closing her eye again she tried to remember what she had been doing that would land her in a hospital. Suddenly she noticed that she hadn't been able to open her left eye.

Blindly raising her hand to feel what could be obstructing it she was startled to feel her finders meet the unmistakable cloth of bandages.

_- the blade of a kunai slashing across her eye_ -

Now remembering the attack she raised her hands to her face and stared in a sort of entranced horror at the jagged scars etched deeply into the palms.

_- the weight of a grown man's body pinning her to the ground as something - something sharp and pointy that hurt and hurt and hurt - drove through small hands, pinning them to the floor -_

Hands that dropped back to her sides as everything else that had happened on that endless night raced through her head. One small hand made its way to rest on her stomach, clutching at the place she now knew a seal was forever etched as memories flashed behind her eyelids.

- _giant red eyes behind bars that reached up for forever and ever_ -

- _'__**Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune'**_ -

- _sakura and snow_ -

- _a slim black collar around a deceptively delicate throat_ _-_

- _'__**Will you become my heir, Namikaze-Uzumaki Noriko?**__'_ -

She passed out.

- _'… I will.' _-

.-.

_"So how do we do this, Kyuubi-san?" asked the girl, staring unwaveringly into the unnerving red eyes of the kitsune. _

_**"You accepting the offer of your own free will has already started the process,**__" replied the Kyuubi. "__**You have already started to become a…daughter, of sorts, to me. Right now your body is in no condition for me to transfer even my first tail to you. But our agreement cemented a sort of contract between us and it has already begun to affect the seal, see?"**_

_With a few delicate fingers she directed the girl's attention back to the slim collar around her neck. The girl stared for a few moments before she detected any clear changes. She suddenly realized that the choker was not just a slim band of black fabric but a solid band of numerous overlapping symbols that could only be seals. The only reason she noticed this was because the seals themselves were shifting and changing and the odd seal would occasionally glow red and shift to an entirely different symbol._

_The vixen gave a slight smile at the look of awe on the child's face before she continued with her explanation. "__**I will explain the particulars of the seal and the contract to you when we have more time. Right now what you must do is allow me to temporarily channel my consciousness and power through you so I my remotely assist you when you wake.**__"_

"_What exactly does that mean?" asked Noriko. While the girl was far more intelligent than most children her age she still got a bit lost when adults started in on the high level vocabulary._

"_**What it means is that, while you are in a kind of danger that I know you are incapable of getting out of alive yourself, we can temporarily kind of…merge.**__" Holding up a hand to forestall any protests the fox continued to explain. "__**You will still be mostly in control but you will be effected by my chakra and power. It will not allow me to take complete control of your body but it will allow me to control some of your movements when you fight to stop you from getting yourself killed. This will let me help you obliterate all the mentally deficient imbeciles that thought it was a good idea to attack MY vessel. Do you understand?**__"_

_Claming down a little after the explanation the girl thought about it for awhile and then agreed._

"_**Now, I must warn you that, because you are not used to so much power flowing through you, you will immediately pass out once you are safe. While you are out of it I will draw up a schedule that will get you into a good enough condition to accept one of my tails within the next few months.**__" The Kyuubi then gave her a rather sadistic smirk, "__**I hope you are prepared, Kit.**__" _

_Noriko swallowed rather nervously at the look of anticipation on the face of her new…foster mother. She then gave her head a small shake to get rid of the apprehension rising in her gut and then nodded fiercely, "I'm ready, Kyuubi-san."_

_The smirk widened into a smile and the Kyuubi gave the girl a swift hug before setting her back into the snow and standing upright. "__**Good.**__" _

_As a tide of red chakra swept the small girl out of the mindscape and back to the land of the living the fox muttered to herself, "__**I really hope you are ready for this, kit.**__"_

_.-.-.-.-.-._

"_So now you will die, DEMON!" _

_As the kunai rapidly descended to slash into the girl's unresponsive eye Noriko suddenly awoke to what was about to happen and managed to close her eye and tilt her head just far enough away from the sharp implement that it wouldn't completely blind her. Feeling a warm all encompassing energy begin to flow into her body from the seal she began to struggle anew at her restraints as her tormenters were blown back with the sudden upsurge in energy._

_Wincing at the pain in her hands the girl, at the urging of the almost sentient energy, harshly ripped one of her hands free of the kunai and then reached over to rip out the one pinning her other hand to the floor. Springing to her feet the girl paid no attention to the rapid healing of her worst wounds, focusing instead on the mob that was just regaining their bearings after being flung allover the room by the first surge of the Kyuubi's chakra. _

_Trying to suppress the over-whelming bloodlust rising in her at the sight of the mob of 'mentally deficient imbeciles' that were attempting to kill her, the girl was about to open her mouth to ask them that all encompassing question – Why? – when she was interrupted before she could even begin by one of the leaders of the group._

"_There! The demon has revealed itself! Kill it before it kills all of us!" At this shout the people that made up the mob almost became unrecognizable as human themselves. Mouths frothing with a madness inducing combination of fear and anger the mass of frenzied bodies hurled themselves at the small form of the girl they had come to hunt._

'_If what they want is a demon, I'll give them one! Kyuubi-san!' the girl's voice snarled through the mindscape and was answered with confirmation of the immense creature's existence._

'_**I am here, Kit. You best prepare for some fire!**__' Even with this warning the girl had no time to do so as the red aura that surrounded her small frame pulsed once and then shifted into a roaring corona of fire._

_The voice that then emerged from the young girl's throat was only partly hers. "__**KI**__TS__**UNE**__-B__**I**__!" The yell wasn't even acknowledged by the swiftly approaching attackers and they only had time to give brief cut off screams as the blue-white flames swiftly engulfed the building. At the fox's urging the girl swiftly followed the spreading flames, untouched by the intense heat._

_Grabbing one of the few that didn't vaporize on the spot as witness and scapegoat on the vixen's suggestion the girl calmly made her way out of the collapsing building. As soon as they were clear of the danger the Kyuubi's energy immediately began to retreat from the girl's body, leaving her trembling and cold as she staggered a few uncertain steps in the direction of the Hokage as he rushed towards her._

_Barely feeling him lift her off the ground, she softly muttered something nonsensical she doubted she'd remember when she woke up and finally passed out._

.-.

"Her more severe injuries had already been mostly healed by the time you got her here. The only thing that might cause problems for her is that eye. It won't be completely confirmed until she actually wakes up but it's very likely that she'll be at least partially blind. An injury like that is honestly very rare and because it also affected her temple area it's impossible to know how completely it'll affect her until she's fully aware."

Noriko, waking again, frowned slightly at the slightly muffled voice of the woman describing injuries right outside of her door. She frowned even more as she recognized the voice of the old man replying.

"And will she have any visible scaring? Especially on her face." The Sandaime's voice grew louder and clearer as she heard her door open as well. She continued to listen in slowly growing horror as she realized that the one they were speaking about was her. She opened the one eye she could to watch as well.

"Sadly enough, yes. The person who cut into her eye must have heated the kunai as far as he could without melting it and was wearing gloves when they went to slice open that eye. Not only will she have a clear cut scar on either side of the eye, across part of her nose and around over her temple and up into her hairline, but there will be thin burn scars spreading out from the original cut as well. A simple eye patch won't be able to cover it. She'll also always have those crucifixion scars through her hands as well. I'm honestly surprised she'll be able to use her hands at all. With the way she was pinned she should have never been able to move her fingers again."

"I suppose that cursed fox came in handy somehow then." Giving a harsh sigh the Third turned to look at where the previously comatose girl was lying and was more than startled to meet the gaze of the girl's only undamaged eye. "Noriko! You're finally awake then," he said, sighing in relief, "Thank God."

Noriko slowly made to sit up and the healer hurried forward to assist her and then left them alone, knowing that the Sandaime had all the information they did on her condition. "Not God, Saru-jiji, Kyuubi."

"Kyu – you know then?"

"Yeah. Why didn't you tell me about it, Jiji?" as she said this the girl turn her head to look out the window towards the slowly rising sun.

The old man gave a tired sigh and followed the girl's gaze. He lowered his eyelids slightly against the sun's bright rays as he answered as honestly as he could. "Partly because I wanted you to have as much of a childhood as I could give you. Originally I had only meant for the council to know and once I told them I made the circumstances of the Kyuubi's defeat a SS-class secret, but one of them blabbed and before I could do any damage control half the village thought you were the Kyuubi reborn."

"The other reason is that, until recently at least, you were just too young to understand the consequences of telling just anybody about it. You are only six after all."

The girl drew her eye from the window to look straight at him as she replied, "I can understand that; and my parents?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you who they –"

"No. I already know who they are." As the Third gaped rather unattractively at her Noriko continued, unperturbed, "What I meant was why you didn't tell me anything about them."

Pulling himself together he answered rather woodenly, "Once again, it's because you were too young." Frowning slightly, he continued, "Can you honestly tell me that you wouldn't have bragged about who they were?"

Conceding the point the girl turned to look back out the window and changed the subject. "So how long have I been out for?"

"Almost two days. With injuries like yours anyone else would have been out for at least a week."

The girl simply nodded as if she had expected something like that. The old man on the other hand still had some questions for her. "Who told you about all of this, Noriko?"

Said girl gave the old man an odd look and said, as if stating the obvious, "The Kyuubi of course," with an innocently wide eye that belied the immensity of the revelation.

Choking on what he was about to say the Third could only make a few incoherent sputtering noises as the girl continued to explain some of what the Kyuubi had told her. Needless to say, while she told him that she and the Kyuubi and made a deal of sorts, she left out any mention of being the fox's heir.

Relaxing a bit after the explanation they sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Noriko reached up to begin unwinding the bandages from around her head. When Sarutobi made to stop her she said that the Kyuubi had told her it was about as healed as it was ever going to be and she might as well take a look at the damage.

Sighing resignedly at the girl's stubbornness, as she finished unwrapping the bandages and removed the pad cushioning her eye, he reached over to the side table to grab a small mirror placed there for that purpose. Turning back to face her he winced slightly at the sight of the scars and, with guilty eyes, placed the mirror in her outstretched hand.

Forewarned by the Hokage's grimace Noriko took a deep breath before she looked into the reflective surface of the mirror. It was both worse than and not as bad as she thought it might be. A thick pink scar carved deeply into the left side of the bridge of her nose before it skidded up over her eyelid, making it so it wouldn't open fully and giving the eye itself a lazy, half lidded quality. The scar then jerked down slightly to etch itself over the bone of her eye socket before drawing sharply off over her temple and smoothing into the hairline.

Off of every part of the main scar lighter and thinner burn scars drew themselves in spider webs across her forehead and cheek. They faded into nonexistence as they reached her hair line and mouth. The eye itself no longer had a discernable iris and sclera. The entirety of the orb was a pale blue, almost white, color that reminded one of ice with a barely discernable pupil of a slightly darker color that was almost invisible.

The entire effect was rather unnerving and Sarutobi would be rather ashamed to admit that when the girl asked him what kind of masks she would be able to wear he was a bit relieved.

They sat and talked for awhile, as Sarutobi wouldn't have to get to the Hokage tower for awhile, before the subject of Noriko's parents came up again. "Did they leave me some kind of house that I could live in?"

"Well, it would be a bad idea to reveal who your father is to anyone by having you blatantly live where he did. Your mother rented out a flat, but I believe she inherited some land from Mito-sama. I'll take a look at what it was and get back to you on that later. That okay?"

"It's fine." Glancing out the window again Noriko couldn't help the next comment, "And don't you have a job to do?"

As she watched the Sandaime glance at the clock and realize the time she said, "Don't forget to bring me some ramen when you visit next. Hospital food sucks." The Third gave her an indulgent nod as he poofed out of the room with a casual shunshin technique. She then pouted as a nurse rolled in a trolley with a tray of said suckish hospital food.

.-.

Looking through the records of what the girl's parents had left to her the Third could only gape in shock when he realized that Uzumaki Kushina had left her daughter the Forest of Death and the tower in its center.

"Oh dear. And she'll probably love the place to death as well."

Sighing at his unintentional pun, he considered what the council would have to say about this. After he had gotten the blonde girl to the hospital, while the girl was in the emergency room, he had immediately summoned some of his best investigative Anbu agents and set them to uncover what exactly led to the massive mistake that had resulted in his favorite blond being scared for life. He knew very well it could have been much worse.

What was found was horrifying. One of the so-called minor concessions he had given up to appease the council was to allow a few civilians to work at the Hokage tower. A few of the more major civilian clans had hired a freelance infiltration specialist had hidden him in with the few other oblivious people they put to work in the tower. Over the course of the last year the man had slowly found out how Noriko's guard shifts were recorded and maintained. Following his orders to the letter he had secretly and slowly manipulated the shift times to include an hour of time when the girl would be unguarded; it had fallen rather coincidentally on the 10th of October, exactly six years after the Kyuubi had been defeated.

When they received the news the civilian council men and women quickly spread the news to those who, much like themselves, hated the child and what she contained beyond all reason. Thus followed the attack, and, needless to say, most of what had been the civilian council were no longer among the living.

At least half of them were killed when Noriko's apartment building went up in flames. One, the one rescued by Noriko, was currently enjoying a prolonged stay in the AnBu's T&I Division. The others were publicly executed for treason, conspiracy to murder one under the protection of both the Hokage and Daimyo, and the breaking of the Sandaime's Law.

After he had completed his mission the nameless agent had immediately fled Konoha but by now it was too late. Inu was hot on his trail and the Hokage was expecting the man to return with the so called specialist's head any day now. The Yondaime's last surviving student knew exactly who the girl's parents were and killing the person who made the attack possible in the first place would help relive some of his not inconsequential anger.

With the civilian council all but eradicated it was decided by the shinobi council not to reinstate it. They could all now see that such an undermining of the Hokage's authority weakened the village as a whole. However, with the civilian council gone the Shinobi one had to pick up the slack. On the Hokage's orders some of the higher ranking ninja, such as the Anbu Commander and the Head of the Hunter Nin Corps, have now taken on positions in the council in order to take on some of the work.

After going through some of the things the civilian council had had a say in, such as what was taught at the Ninja Academy, Sarutobi could only think that the disbanding of the civilian council was an even better idea than he had originally thought. They had actually let fangirls keep that mentality after their second year at the Academy and even let them pass their final exams? Ridiculous.

Turning his thoughts back to what he had originally been planning, he knew that at the very least he'd have to tell the council who her mother was in order for the girl to be able to live in the Forest.

Taking the deed and everything else her mother had left her with him he left to tell the council and give Noriko half of her inheritance.

.-.

After he left the office a ninja pulled himself up from where he had been hidden in the floor and was immediately killed by a Kage Bunshin the old Hokage had made, hidden, and left behind.

Examining the blank mask the clone scowled to itself and muttered under its breath, "Damn that Danzo. He's getting bolder." Turning back to the body it burned it to a crisp with a minor fire jutsu. As the ashes flowed on a breeze out the window it dispersed itself, sending the memories of its short existence back to its creator.

.-.

Noriko, having fallen asleep again as she waited to be released from the hospital, woke up in her mindscape. She just laid there for while, watching as snow the snow fell down into her face and disappeared as it touched her skin. She wasn't very surprised when the Kyuubi bent her head into her line of vision to look down at her.

"**Well? Are you just going to lie there all day, Kit?**" asked the kitsune.

"No."

"**Oh. Okay then.**"

As she looked down at the peaceful face of the little girl the Kyuubi noticed that the scars on her body had yet to manifest themselves on the mental plane. Clearly the girl had yet to accept the injuries as a part of who she was, but that was understandable. To expect such mental maturity in a six year old was ludicrous.

Shaking her head slightly at the direction of her thoughts the fox glanced at the snow and after taking another look at the girl lay down next to her, her feet facing the opposite direction as their hair curled together in the white drifts of snow.

She didn't move even after the child left the mindscape. And the snow kept falling.

* * *

~ Author's Note ~

The third chapter is here! I hope you're happy; deciding where to end it gave me a bit of trouble. Enjoy and **review**!

- Aljan Moonfire


	5. Chapter 4: The Tower

_**Aljan Moonfire does not own Naruto**_

"Speaking."

'Thinking.'

"**Demonic Speaking.**"

'Demonic Thinking.'

"_Human Mental Conversation._"

"_**Demonic Mental Conversation.**_"

* * *

**_Chapter 4 –_**

**_The Tower_**

* * *

"Well," said the medic as the green glow of medical chakra faded from the hand she had just removed from Noriko's eye, "It seems like you've recovered nicely." She continued speaking as she ignored the door opening behind her and the man who walked through it. "Once you get dressed you're free to go."

"Really?" asked Noriko in excitement as she practically bounced off the bed she had spent the last few days in.

"Really," the healer replied as she stood herself and picked up the girl's medical chart from the small table beside the bed. As she turned to leave the room she continued, "I'll just take this down to the nurse's station while you talk with Hokage-sama, alright?" She gave the girl a small smile and the Sandaime a swift bow and left.

The Hokage followed the woman with his eyes as she removed herself from the room and then turned back to his favorite blonde, bringing out the bowl ramen he had been hiding from the hospital staff as he did so. Receiving her instant attention at the sight and smell of what she had long since deemed the Food of the Gods he quickly handed it over before she took his hand along with the ramen.

As he watched her begin to devour her favorite food he reflected on the behavior of the woman who had just left. He was beyond grateful that the Hippocratic Oath existed. Because every medic that worked at the hospital had taken the oath at one point or another none of them could refuse to treat Noriko. As a consequence they were forced to give the girl a chance and, almost without exception, they had found that they couldn't hate her.

In their minds the Kyuubi and Noriko were two entirely different beings. They just couldn't connect the immense bloodlust and hatred they had felt from the Bijuu to the small blonde girl who was always smiling and cheerful. In fact, many of them eventually came to like her and those who were merely neutral treated her with the same honesty and respect they did all of their patients.

Shaking off the introspective thoughts he turned his attention back to the small girl and blinked in shock when he saw the child staring at an empty bowl mournfully. In order to distract her from the depressing realization the Ramen was Gone he began to speak.

"It turns out I was right; Mito-sama did leave your mother something, and she in turn has left it to you. It's more than far enough away from the main part of the village that you won't have to worry about anymore attacks; and on that note it may be a good idea for you to hide out there for awhile. Having you in the public eye so soon after the deaths of so many civilians and the changes on the council would just be asking for trouble."

The old Hokage sighed and shook his head at the last point, and Noriko couldn't help but nod in agreement. The villagers were bad enough already. She didn't want to know what would happen if they had even more of a reason to hate her.

"Back to the original point though; the place is an old, mostly abandoned at this point, Anbu training ground called the 'Forest of Death' and includes the tower in the center."

"The…'Forest of Death'?" the girl couldn't help but ask.

"Yes. I'm sure you'll understand once you actually see the place."

.-.

The first thing she noticed was how tall the trees were. From where she was standing, just outside the chain link fence with barbed wire tops that surrounded the area, they almost seemed to go on forever. The second thing she noticed was how dark it was. The thick canopy of leaves that covered the topmost branches of the trees blocked out the sun and she could tell that the majority of the forest was forever wrapped in darkness.

The sound of the wind blowing through the trees made an eerie whistling sound and when it was accompanied by the occasional scream of a dying animal she could see why humans might find it unnerving enough to call it a 'Forest of Death'.

She turned back the Hokage to see him watching expectantly, waiting to hear what she thought of the place. "I love it!" she exclaimed honestly and the Third shook his head in bemusement. He'd heard Kushina had a similar reaction to the forest the first time she saw it. He might have suspected that the reaction was unique to the Kyuubi containers if it weren't for Mitarashi Anko's obsession with the forest as well. After all, the only other person to have ever lived in it on a permanent basis aside from Noriko was the first Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, Senju-Uzumaki Mito.

"Well, let's see go see the tower before you make your decision, my dear." He said. He then picked her up and, trailed by his ever present (and persistent) Anbu guards, sped through the gate and jumped up into the tree tops, quickly disappearing into the forest.

.-.

The tower in the center of the forest really didn't look like anything special. It towered, much like a tower should, over the old man and his charge as they landed in the clearing that surrounded it. As the girl inspected the tower as well as she could from her position in the Hokage's arms she looked a little unimpressed with its initial appearance. Then the Hokage began to speak.

"The tower has about six, maybe seven, floors all told. I myself have never been past the third one. In order to even get to that third floor you must have an invitation from an Uzumaki accepted by the seal ward that covers the tower itself."

The girl had returned her attention to the Third and as he spoke was becoming more and more impressed with the things seals could do. Before, after she first learned that the Kyuubi was held inside her, she had resolved to learn something about them herself, if only to know what was going on with her own seal as it was changed by the agreement she had made with the Kyuubi. She was now beginning to see the benefits of doing so for her own benefit.

The Hokage himself, oblivious to the small girl's speculative thoughts, continued. "It should be easy enough for you to be accepted by the ward. However; once you are I know you'll be safe here, as you are the last Uzumaki. Sadly, I won't be able to explore the rest of the tower with you today as I have to return to my…paperwork."

The girl was a bit sad that she wouldn't have any company but nodded in understanding as the man put her down and opened the tower's door.

As they made their way to the entrance to the third floor Sarutobi gave Noriko a bit of a tour of the fist two stories. He pointed out the arena that was normally only used for the annual Chuunin Exams (he had to explain what a Chuunin Exam was when he mentioned this) and the surveillance room next to it as they moved out of the entrance hall. He also showed her a couple of the training rooms that took up the rest of the first floor.

The second floor mostly consisted of bedrooms set up for those who were visiting the tower but weren't allowed past the second floor. The only other thing there was a couple of spacious offices for those who had to hold meetings in the tower itself for one reason or another.

As they reached the door at the end of one of the many hallways of the second floor the Hokage turned to Noriko and said, "This is the only way, that I know of at least, to get to the rest of the tower. Bite your finger enough for a bit of blood to come out and place your hand on the door.

The girl looked doubtfully at the utterly normal looking door but complied, biting a finger on her right hand and gingerly laying the appendage against the wooden door. Immediately after she did so seals, glowing a bloody red around the edges, spread from the point where her small hand made contact with the door. They etched themselves across the door but didn't stop there as they swiftly moved to cover the entire tower and the land around it with their markings. The old Hokage watched in awe as they pulsed once and glowed blue for a second before sinking into the materials that made up the tower.

The Sandaime then returned his attention to the girl as she removed her hand from the door and sagged down to land on her knees, holding her head as if in pain with her other hand as she did so. "Are you all right, Noriko?" he asked with concern as he hovered over her hunched form, unsure of what he should do. While he knew the bare basics of sealing, as did every ninja of above chuunin level, he also knew that the ward work on this tower was unsurpassed by anything else in the village except for the seal barrier surrounding it, and perhaps his successor/predecessor's house.

"I'm fine," she replied after a moment, and then continued, "It's just that when I connected with the barrier, and it accepted me, a lot of information I wasn't really ready for seemed to almost pour into my brain." The old man calmed down a bit at this, beginning to assume that it was similar to the effect of memories returning from a shadow clone.

Then the girl continued to speak and the man's, as well as the invisible Anbus', eyes widened in incredulousness. "I now know exactly how to manipulate the ward; I could even stretch it to include the entire Forest of Death if I wanted to. I know exactly how many people are in the tower and how many rooms and floors it has. It's almost like I have a little living map of the place in the back of my head; I couldn't get lost here if I wanted to."

She opened her mouth to continue but then immediately closed it, realizing that she was beginning to babble. The Hokage, after a moment, suppressed his shock and began to consider the advantages and disadvantages of such a thing. He then replied, "Well, that's certainly a surprise, but a good one I think. Perhaps when I leave you could place the whole tower under the barrier, it would make you that much safer at least."

The girl thought for a moment and then agreed. The Hokage then leaned down to give the blonde a hug before saying goodbye and telling her he'll visit when he can. He then disappeared in a poof of smoke, swiftly followed by the Anbu she had noticed when the wards connected to her.

Noriko then turned back to the door and opened it for the first time. As she had known she would the only thing immediately visible were stairs that went up a few quite a few steps and then disappeared onto a balcony. She went up the stairs and stepped out onto the balcony. The giant room it overlooked took up the entirety of this floor of the tower.

The room stretched up to reach about fourteen feet at the ceiling. The balcony itself wasn't so much a balcony as a floor within a floor. It was raised about five feet off the main part of the room and reached about twelve feet into it. It was covered with a blue and green carpet and edged with a wooded rail that was broken only by the six or so small staircases that provided a way to get down to the main part of the massive room. She moved forward to lean against the rail and take in the room.

The walls themselves were bare except for evenly placed lamps, the occasional window, and the mural that covered it. The mural was made up of what seemed like a hypnotic abstract made of ribbons of every color you could ever imagine. However, as Noriko now knew, it wasn't a mural at all but instead the matrix for the seal barrier that enveloped the entirety of the Forest of Death. Depending on what she wanted the barrier to do the colors and patterns would almost imperceptibly shift themselves to reflect their purpose. The best part was that anyone who she invited into this room who wasn't a true seal master at the level of her great-great-aunt (who were quite rare as far as she knew) would only see what it appeared to be; an elaborate mural.

The space directly beneath the balcony was taken up by storage space. What was in each large cupboard was listed on discrete pieces of paper pined next to the doors of each. The room itself consisted of what seemed to be a spacious combination of a living room, dining room, and kitchen. One part of it was a living/family room combo that had many couches and arm chairs of varying colors and patterns spread out all over it. The carpet that covered the area was made up of warm colors, like soft red, pale yellow and dark orange, with neutral patterns that merged seamlessly with the colors and patterns of the other areas. It gave off a warm and cozy feeling, despite the size of the room.

Another part of it would have seemed to be a simple dining room area, if it weren't for the positively massive table that took up the majority of the space. It was low, like most traditional tables, but that was where the similarity ended. It was made of what looked like a sleek cherry wood and the visible whorls were shaped in graceful and undefined patterns, giving it a mysterious air. There were at least fifteen cushions surrounding the table, though she couldn't count them all accurately from where she was. The colors of area were cool and reminiscent of the ocean. The carpet and the cushions were done in various shades of blue, green, and the occasional soft gray. It was in a direct, but complimenting, contrast to the theme of the living room area.

The last part of the room was taken up by a massive and rather elaborately set up kitchen. It was clearly equipped to handle cooking for many people at the same time. The long counter lined up precisely where the carpeting of the other parts of the room ended with two small openings into each of the areas placed strategically for easiest access. Various small cooking appliances (such as the microwave, toaster, and rice cooker) were set up along the counter, neatly cleaned after whenever their last use was. On the other side of the kitchen area, much like in the living and dining room areas, two staircases reached up to the balcony (for lack of a better thing to call it). However, in between the staircases, instead of storage cupboards there were the larger appliances that were missing from the counter area.

The dishwasher, oven, stove, and two refrigerators took up most of the space there. The only part of that circling wall that wasn't covered by the kitchen appliances was the fore mentioned staircases and what appeared to be a fully stocked pantry, lined with preservative seals to ensure that the food within wouldn't go bad. The kitchen didn't have as distinctive a color pattern as the other parts of the room and was mostly done up in neutral colors. The counters were made up of wood and the cabinets holding kitchen supplies and dishes that they stood on were of a soft golden-brown marble with wooden doors matching the wood of the counter. The floor was made of a dark hardwood that the girl couldn't identify and the appliances were made of a soft gray that contrasted nicely with the warm color of the woods.

She then noticed, and remembered, the two doors on the other side of the room. One, she knew went to the fourth floor. The other led to a bathroom.

Whoever lived here last must have been a generally social person who had people over visiting regularly. She reflected for a moment on the novelty of a family that cared enough about her to leave her such a marvelous place to live before pushing aside her musings for another time. She then turned back to the mural and slowly and carefully, so as to be sure she didn't make a mistake, shifted the tower's barrier so that it encompassed the whole tower.

She'd have to remember to put the old man into the 'acceptable people' list for the seal barrier, at least for the first few floors. She had a feeling that it would be awhile before she would be able to put anymore people on it. The only other people she might trust enough to give access to the upper levels of the tower were Teuchi-ji and Ayame-nee and they wouldn't be able to get past the forest to visit her as they were only civilians.

.-.

An hour later she had finished manipulating the tower's wards to her liking. Aside from extending the 'Uzumaki invited only' ward to include the entire tower she set the pest wards on the tower to include snakes (which she suddenly severely disliked – she wondered if it was an effect of her new bond with the Kyuubi) and canceled any permission that her mother or great-great aunt may have given people to enter the tower. She left the rest of the barrier wards on the tower itself alone.

She had then considered the forest and examined what was in place on it. There weren't many but those there where were kind of impressive. There was one that induced a severe avoidance of the forest to anyone not of Uzumaki blood. Those that were affected could enter but they would _really_ not want to be there. The closer they got to the tower the more uneasy they would get but once they were safely ensconced in the tower they would be able to relax. Most ninja listened to their instincts, as they had probably saved their lives more than once, so it acted as a fairly effective deterrent.

There were a few more dormant security wards as well; such as those that would let her know when people entered and left the forest and another that would give anyone she didn't want to be there a severe shock. It would start off as an almost unnoticeable static shock but would swiftly get deadly the longer they stayed. She awakened those and, unable to think of anything else to do to them, stepped back from the mural.

The mural seemed almost unchanged but upon a closer look a few of the colors had shifted places or brightened and a new one all together wound it's way through the ribbons of color. Satisfied the girl moved away from the wall to get something to eat before she completed her exploration of the tower.

She was quite gratified to find some instant ramen in the pantry. As she looked over the crates of the stuff she wondered if her ramen addiction was hereditary. It might explain some things but she quickly dismissed the thought and, taking some cup ramen with her, returned to the kitchen.

.-.

After she finished her 'dinner' (twenty cups of ramen if you want to know) she turned to the doors she had previously noticed from the other side of the room and opened the one leading to the next floor, making her way up yet another flight of stairs. As she had already known, the fourth floor consisted of mostly identical guest bedrooms that were spacious and comfortable enough that one could easily live in them full time; including futon or bed, dresser, closet, and bathroom. The stairs that Noriko had climbed lead to a short hall that ended in a circular sitting area in the center of the fourth story.

The walls that circled the area were set with doors at regular intervals. She knew that each one lead to a room with a different color scheme, the small patch of color on each of the white doors indicating which was which. The sitting area itself was decorated with an odd red and silver color scheme that somehow worked quite well with the starkly white doors and odd color patches.

In the very center of the circular room a spiral staircase stretched up and through the ceiling. Not seeing any need to stay on the fourth floor any longer she made her way to the staircase and began to climb, swiftly putting the red and silver patterned carpet further and further beneath her feet. She quickly passed through the floor that separated the fourth and fifth stories and emerged onto a circular wooden platform edged with a rail made of the same metal as the wrought iron staircase she had just climbed.

The room on the fifth floor was a library that, much like the third floor, took up the entire space. However, the ceiling reached up much higher than the ones on that floor; in fact this room may have been able to count as two stories in and of itself. The first 'floor' was that of a normal, if large, library. Bookshelves lined the walls and ones much taller than the ones against the walls stood in seemingly random positions all over the rest of the library, stretching up to reach the exceedingly tall ceiling. She was glad for the ladders that were attached to each of the shelves; if they weren't there she wouldn't be able to reach the books on the higher shelves.

They were close to over flowing with different books and scrolls and as she went over to examine a few of them Noriko was excited to learn that a lot of them were on seals. She then noticed that there were several nooks that looked tailor-made for curling up away from the world with a good book in as well as several chairs and couches set up in groups that looked quite absurdly comfy. At the other side of the library a double-sided staircase led up to a door that undoubtedly led to the sixth floor and balcony (a true balcony, not like the one on the third floor) that wrapped around the room at least twelve or thirteen feet up in the air. On the balcony even more bookshelves, but these ones with barely any books on them, wrapped around the room again.

Putting aside what seemed destined to become one of her favorite rooms for the moment she crossed the room and made her way up the stairs and through the door at the top of them. Behind the door were more stairs that, as she already knew, led to one of the last floors.

The sixth floor contained the more private rooms of the tower. It held the master bedroom, the master bath, private training rooms and a sealing room that her great-great aunt had probably used for her more elaborate and private sealings. Already knowing the basic layout of this floor she quickly made her way to the center of the story and the spiral staircase that led to last floor of the tower. She wanted to see it before she went to sleep.

She slowly made her way up the stairs and emerged on the other side of the ceiling. It turns out that the roof of the tower wasn't the stone it appeared to be from the outside but glass panels with carefully applied illusion seals. The entirety of the seventh and last floor was a beautiful greenhouse garden that had slightly fallen to ruin since the tower last had inhabitants; over two decades now from what she knew.

It was still beautiful though and the moonlight that had begun to shine through the glass made it even more so. She resolved to clean it up at some point soon. Noriko then gave a large yawn and turned to go back down the staircase.

.-.

When she opened the door of the master bedroom ten minutes later she was almost dead on her feet. Not having the energy to examine the bedroom as closely as she had the others in the tower she gave a jaw-breaking yawn, removed her outer clothes and climbed onto the bed, swiftly slipping beneath the covers. As she curled up in bed she didn't immediately fall asleep but closed her eyes, basking in the feeling of finally being somewhere she could truly call home.

Before she fully fell asleep she gave a thought to how the Kyuubi might react to her changed circumstances and so, pondering the fox's reaction, she fell into a deep sleep.

.-.

Noriko woke up what felt like hours later t o the voice of what immediately recognized as the Kyuubi. It was a bit unforgettable after all.

"**All right, Kit. It is time to get up.**"

She felt justified in wanting to sleep more though. She'd had a tiring day after all.

"**Wake up, Noriko!**"

However, when she began to detect an annoyed tone in the vixen's voice she thought maybe it might be a good idea to get up after all.

"I'm up! I'm up!" the young girl exclaimed, propping herself up on her elbows. She was surprised when her arms began to sink into the snow though and, looking up to catch sight of an enormous Sakura tree and the human form of the Kyuubi, who was looking a tad annoyed, she realized she was back in her mindscape.

Once she was sure that her charge was awake and aware the woman sat down in front of her and, drawing herself up into a dramatic pose made an announcement. "**Now that we have an appropriate place to train you will begin your training under me to become an appropriate heir. I hope you are prepared, Kit.**"

Seeing the look of sadistic anticipation on the face of the kitsune as she looked down at her with a smirk Noriko gulped in apprehension and began to sweat a bit. She supposed it was too late to back out of that deal, huh.

"**Yes, far, far, too late, Noriko-kit.**"

.-.

When Noriko woke up the next morning she was unsure of where she was. It was far too comfortable to be the hospital and her apartment had burned down….ah well, she wanted to get more sleep anyway. Not even bothering to open her eyes she turned over and quickly dozed off again. She'd probably remember when she woke up next anyway.

"_**Get your ass out of that bed, Noriko!**_"

When the yell of her Bijuu roared through her mind the girl bolted straight up in said bed, tangling herself in her sheets. She lost her balance as she tried to untangle herself and fell right out of the bed, hitting the floor with a sharp thud that was muffled by the soft carpet that stretched over the floor and a high pitched yelp.

"What was that for, Kyuubi!" she shouted to thin air. Had anyone seen it they would have probably thought her crazy. Well, anyone who didn't know who and what she was. Then they'd, depending on who they were, either take her to the Hokage or try to kill her.

When the Kyuubi pointed this out to her kit she groaned and sighed, rubbing at the bump on her head that was already going down. "_So why did you wake me up like that Kyuubi-san?_" she asked in her mind, a bit more politely this time.

"_**Why, it's time to begin your training,**_" the fox replied almost cheerfully. "_**Surely you haven't forgotten last night already?**_"

"No, how could I?" the girl almost groaned. She then stood up, stretched, and took a look around the bedroom she'd ended up falling asleep in. It, much like many of the rooms in the tower, had a specific color pattern. This one gave the feeling of sleeping on a cloud. Various shades of light blues interspersed with accents of dark blue made up the majority of the room's decorations and colors. The bed itself though was big, fluffy, and completely white. She loved it.

Then she sighed and put on the clothes she had discarded the last day. It was time train.

* * *

~ Author's Note ~

Chapter 4 – I think it may be my longest chapter yet in this story. Almost 5,000 words. Now that I've written it I think it may be a good size for most of my chapters. I'm on a bit of a roll right now so expect another in the next week or so I'd guess. The next few chapters should be fun at least.

And, I think I may have mentioned this before but I am getting almost no reviews for what is beginning to be my favorite story. I now have over 750 hits and visitors and less than five reviews. That's pathetic. I know that a lot of the people who read on this site don't write themselves but reviews are very important for a writer. We want to know that our work is appreciated.

With this chapter this story has reached over 15000 words and I'm a bit excited about it. I look forward to what feedback you guys give me so I can improve the story and my own writing skills.

So review!

~ Aljan Moonfire ~


	6. Chapter 5: Training and the Academy

_**Aljan Moonfire does not own Naruto. Really.**_

"Speaking."

'Thinking.'

"**Demonic Speaking.**"

'**Demonic Thinking.**'

* * *

_**Chapter 5 –**_

_**Training and the Academy**_

* * *

**Two Months Later…**

Noriko was meditating. Any uninformed person who saw her would have thought she was sleeping though. She was just lying in a hammock in the greenhouse she had indeed remodeled, just as she had said she would, after all. Noriko didn't like breaking her promises, even ones she made to herself. The Kyuubi had told her it was something she had inherited from her. She didn't really mind.

Back to the meditating though; it was something she had done quite regularly over the past couple of months. When she had woken up that day she had indeed planned to get straight to training. However, the moment she had stepped out of her room her stomach had immediately growled leading to an immediate retreat down all those stairs to the kitchen, where she had immediately begun to devour horrendously large quantities of ramen. Well, until the Kyuubi pointed a few things out to her at least.

First was that with the way she was eating the stuff they'd be out of instant ramen within a week and they had no way to restock. Second, was the fact that all of the ramen she eats had been stunting her growth; that without the Kyuubi being sealed inside her she'd have already been suffering from malnutrition. The limited calorie intake of the ramen may have sufficed when she had no other choice but now she had a fully stocked pantry to take advantage of. When the girl had begun to protest the fox had told her that a couple cups a day wouldn't be a problem but eating nothing but the stuff would be.

It was then that the budding argument was interrupted by the seal wards telling her that someone was fast approaching the tower. When asked for a description the barrier had given her one that quite closely matched that of the old Hokage. The only discrepancy was that both he and a few of his ever present guards were weighed down by a more than a few bags and packages.

She had immediately raced down the stairs to the main door and opened it just and the old man and his bodyguards landed in the front lawn. The Hokage had brought her some clothes, food and a few other things like toothpaste and soap, just in case the tower didn't have any. She had quickly invited the old man in, leaving his ever-present shadows to guard the tower itself instead of their primary charge, since they couldn't get in.

The girl herself had led the old man up to the third floor where they both had sat at the massive dining table as she finished her breakfast of ramen, ramen, and more ramen. The Hokage had told her he couldn't stay long and that he had had just come to bring her some clothes and necessities. He himself had had no idea what to get for the girl and so had let a trusted female Anbu do the shopping. That, he said, was why there was so much of the stuff. He had stayed and talked with the girl for a while but soon had to leave.

Noriko had finished her ramen by that point and bid the old man a fond farewell. She had then, on the Kyuubi's urging, found herself in one of the private training rooms on the sixth floor where she had soon begun to train under the Kyuubi's direction.

Over the course of the next couple of months the Kyuubi had indeed pushed her hard but, just as the fox had known she would, Noriko had pushed back even harder. The Kyuubi had begun with the basics. The first part of the morning would begin with physical exercises; pushups, pull-ups, squats, sit-ups, crunches, the whole nine yards. Every time the young girl came close to getting used to the set amount of exercises the fox would immediately double them. As a result the girl remained mostly unaware of her growing strength for the better part of a month and the Kyuubi had to increase the amount of what she did a least three times a week.

After this the vixen would have Noriko meditate and enter her mindscape. There the fox began to teach her kitsune lore, customs, and magic. Noriko herself didn't even have a single tail yet so the majority of the magic lessons were theory but even the most minor of kitsune were masters of deception, illusion, and transformation. As result, even if she didn't have the power to do even the most minor of kitsune magic, her general behaviors began to reflect the expectations of the Kyuubi. However, the fact that most kitsune antics required either an audience or a victim stunted this a bit.

The girl would then go down to the kitchen for a midday meal and then immediately retreat back to the training room she had recently vacated once done eating. There she would practice with her chakra for the rest of the day. She had easily been able to find it on the first day so the next two weeks consisted of her practicing moving it about her body until it moved the way she wanted it to instantly and at her slightest whim. The rest of the month was spent practicing the leaf sticking exercise.

She would stop her chakra practice at around six or seven o'clock and go make something for dinner. After dinner she would more often than not occupy herself in the library learning about sealing and chakra theory from both the Kyuubi and the books stored there. Though occasionally she would relax with a good story as well.

A month into the training the physical exercises were, at Noriko's insistence, switched with the physical work of remodeling the old greenhouse at the top of the tower. As long as the girl was working out extensively the fox didn't have a problem with it and even helped the girl out at times by pointing out extra things that could be done. The rest of her days however stayed mostly the same; the only other difference was in her chakra training.

Around the same time Noriko had begun restoring the greenhouse the fox had her sticking first one, and then multiple, leaves on different points of her body and moving them around with only her chakra. The fox said it would help with her control, reserves, and multitasking skills, and it most certainly did, but Noriko found this to be the hardest exercise by far; even the tree walking exercise she had mastered in the last week didn't compare to the difficulty of sticking twenty leaves to different parts of your body and moving them around in random individual patterns.

She had finished renovating the greenhouse only yesterday and it looked quite good, if she did say so herself. Maybe, when she had more time, she'd turn part of the space around her tower into another garden? The greenhouse, much like a few of the other tower rooms, took up the entirety of the seventh floor. Arranged in a spiral pattern the plants started at the edge of the walls and moved in a spacious spiral that only wrapped around the room four or five times before reaching the center where the spiral staircase emerged from the floor.

In the space between the plants a walkway made its way, gradually leading a person who walked down it from the staircase to the windows that made up the walls. Where the spiral of tatami mats ended at the edge closest to the window a small space to sit and admire either the view or the flowers, or both, was set up. A small traditional table was placed here with a tea making set laid out neatly on it; a few cushions surrounded it but the hammock that was in sight of the small area, tied between two young blossoming cherry trees, seemed to be severely out of place.

The young girl that laid there resembled the one who had so eagerly watched the fireworks almost three months ago, but it was a distant resemblance at best, relying on only the coloring and facial features to give truth to the supposition that they were indeed the same person. The left side of Noriko's face was completely covered by a mask that fit the form of her face too perfectly to be anything but a custom job.

The pale grey, almost sliver but not quite, color of the mask was obscured by long strands of bright hair that reached the middle of the girl's back when she stood up straight. Currently released from its customary loose braid the rest of what she considered her only vanity spilled over the edge of the hammock and swayed with the girl's soft breathing.

She was wearing a deceptively soft yukata that looked to be a size too large for her, what with the loose fit and extra long sleeves that completely covered her hands. Made of layered grey chakra infused silk, it would stop anything but a direct strike from a kunai or sword in its tracks and even lessen damage from low level jutsu. It was bound at her waist with a soft yellow sash tied in a bow. Underneath it she wore only a fishnet body suit over spandex shorts and a short, tight shirt of the same material that, were she older, may have been termed a sports bra.

Her hands were almost impossible to discern from where they were curled into fists and hidden deep in the sleeves of her garment; were they visible though it would be apparent that she was wearing slim black gloves with dull metal backs. Her bare feet also curled up beneath the edges of the yukata. She looked incredibly relaxed but, as I'm sure I've mentioned, she was meditating, so it was to be expected.

.-.

**Inside her mindscape….**

"Kyu-kaa-san, do you think I'm ready?" she asked the woman sitting in the tree above her. Even in her mindscape her ever present mask made its appearance and was brought to attention with the way she was nervously running a hand through her long hair.

"**Of course you are, I would not suggest it otherwise, but getting that old man to agree might be a bit difficult, I admit.**" The fox replied.

The two of them had agreed to attempt to convince the Hokage to allow Noriko to enter the academy early. The old man had seen some of the ways she trained when he came over to visit but he had no idea that his small friend was, at the least, low genin level. In order to convince the old man that she was ready they had decided she had to leave the forest herself and visit him in the tower.

If that didn't surprise him nothing will; he still didn't know that over the course of the past few weeks she'd been leaving the forest to play increasingly elaborate pranks on the stiffs in the village. She figured that if nothing else playing a successful prank on both the Uchiha Military Police and the Hyuuga Clan would convince him to let her take a shot at it. The showing up in his office unexpectedly would cause enough shock to be called a prank in its own right.

The hand that was fiddling with the ends of her hair stopped as she considered that last thought. Now that she thought on it a bit more there was no reason to be nervous about this; in fact it might just be fun! Sensing the direction of her kit's thinking the kitsune gave the oblivious girl a small, proud smile that disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

"**It is almost noon, kit. If you want to be able to stop by Ichiraku's you are going to have to hurry.**"

At this the girl gave the kitsune a horrified look, her visible eye wide, and disappeared from the mindscape. Because of the time dilation the mindscape causes the girl was already almost nine years old, mentally at least. While it doesn't make such a big difference now, it will once she's a preteen and is attracted to men over twice her physical age. If she were to stay human that might be a problem, but kitsune were very unconcerned when it came to the age, or even sex for that matter, of those they feel like staying with for a while.

Because of their long lifespan and small numbers, no matter what they do they're practically robbing the cradle. But they do so anyway because no matter how long they might be able to survive alone (the Kyuubi had found that Noriko's survival instincts were especially strong and may just get stronger as she grew older) kitsune were a very social people; they needed contact with others to keep them sane. By the time her mind _and_ body mature enough for her to want that sort of thing she'll have been a kitsune for quite a few years.

Either way she doubted that she'd ever grow out of that ramen obsession. It certainly didn't happen with either of her relatives, but one could always hope….

.-.

Noriko opened her right eye and the cool blue iris regarded the glass ceiling for a moment, squinting through the trees at the bright sunlight that had somehow contrived to fall on her face, before she slowly sat up, knowing that moving too quickly on the hammock would simply cause it to capsize. She swung her legs out of the comfortable contraption and hopped down, landing with a grace that wasn't apparent in her movements even a month ago.

She swiftly moved away from the hanging bed, wondering if she should move it again. As she did so she shook back the long sleeves of her yukata to bare gloved hands that promptly began to twist her long hair into a loose braid that allowed more than a few of the thick strands to cover her mask.

Over the course of the past few months she had come to accept that the scars would never go away and would always be apart of who she was. In fact, if she ever had a choice she was unsure of if she would want the marks to be healed. However, they were also a vulnerable part of her and she didn't want people she didn't trust to see them. Thus the half-mask and gloves. The only people to have ever viewed them besides herself were the old man, a couple of the medics and nurses at the hospital who had seen them when she was unconscious, and Kyu-kaa-san.

Tying off the end of the braid with a black tie she descended the staircase in the direction of her cloud room to get ready to go out. Ramen, here she comes!

.-.

Stepping out of the tower, Noriko bent down to adjust her ninja sandals, the dark grey of the shoes matching her outfit perfectly. Fashion consciousness was one of the first things of the Kyuubi had taught her. The first lesson there of: Bright orange jumpsuits are not appropriate for clothing for six year old girls. Or for anyone, really. Looking up she judged it to be almost twelve thirty, leaving her enough time for a quick stop at Ichiraku's before she snuck into the Hokage tower.

She crouched for a moment and then jumped into the trees. There were many ways to get in and out of the forest that were unknown and unusable to anyone not directly connected to the seal matrix or invited to use them by one who was. These included, but were not limited to, underground tunnels and teleportation seals. However, this comparatively normal way of doing things was by far her favorite. The forest itself called to something wild and primal deep within her and she felt just as at home out here as she did safely ensconced in her tower.

Hopping from one branch to another, sometimes griping tightly to the branches with chakra as she had learned to do with the tree climbing exercise, she sped through the forest and was out in the main village within fifteen minutes. The girl quickly gained her bearings but stuck to the rooftops in an effort to avoid the civilians.

Suddenly, she dropped into a street that, while not as busy as the main market, was certainly far from deserted and, braid trailing behind her, disappeared into a small ramen stand.

.-.

Fifteen minutes later she emerged from the stall, stretching slightly, and waving goodbye in response to the farewell Ayame called after her. She'd have loved to stick around and chat with her surrogate sister and uncle but she had to get going.

After the attack she had been unable to visit the stand and while the Hokage was quick to reassure them of her well being they had been worried. They were glad to see she was doing better but they still weren't quite used to how calm and almost apathetic she had become about anything not having to do with ramen, and even then she was a lot more subdued, even if she ate just as much. While they couldn't really understand everything that she'd been through they still provided the place where she could eat her favorite food and pretend she was just like anyone else and she loved them for it. They also loved her; because who else eats more than ten bowls every time she stops by?

Noriko finished stretching with a lazy yawn and bounded back up to the high road of the city, quickly making her way towards the Hokage Monument and the tower in front of it.

.-.

When the Sandaime returned from yet another tedious meeting he was shocked by the greeting that rang out from the chair behind his desk. "Hey, Saru-jiji, do you think I could get one of these chairs for my tower? They're ridiculously comfortable."

When he didn't reply Noriko turned from where she was looking out at the monument and laughed at the dumbstruck expression on the old Hokage's face. Giving him a smirk, a mischievous look in her eye, the girl spoke up again, breaking the old man out of his shock, "If you don't close your mouth a fly might fly in."

The comment woke the Third from his semi trance of surprise and he replied, giving the blonde a wry smile as he did so. "No, I think it's one of a kind. The only one I know of that even comes close is the one in the council room. Now, up; I want to be sitting down for whatever you came all this way to speak about."

The girl, still small for her age, obeyed hopping out of the chair and moving around to look over the unfamiliar room curiously. While she had snuck into the tower before, and this room once as a test run the night before, she hadn't really had much of a chance to look around. Before that fateful birthday he had mostly been the one to visit her at the orphanage and after she moved to the tower he had always been the one to visit her when he had time.

"Now, Noriko," he said, getting the blonde's attention, "How did you get in here?"

"Not telling." She said with a smirk and before he could protest the answer she continued, "I'll I'm going to say is that the guards on this place are pathetic. They should be able to at least keep a six year old girl out of your office."

Sarutobi didn't really have anything to say to that, she was right after all, so he put that matter to the side for the moment. He gave voice to his other question though, "What did you want then, my dear? You wouldn't come all this way just to visit me when you know that I planned on coming to see you tomorrow."

It was a valid point so the girl climbed into one of the chairs facing the old man and got down to business. "I want to enter the academy this year."

The Third just blinked in surprise, "This early? But you're only six!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, I know." She replied, and then elaborated, "I know that you know that the Kyuubi has been helping me train myself," she ignored the old Hokage's uncomfortable shifting at the mention of the demon fox, "and that you also know something of what I'm now capable of. I don't want to hang around doing nothing but train myself and eat ramen for the next four years of my life. It'd get a bit more than boring after awhile."

The old man frowned a bit at that and she hastily kept speaking, "I'm also more than capable of it; just the fact that I'm here should tell you that." As she pointed this out she gestured around the room and Sarutobi began to seriously consider what she was trying to tell him. "Just me being here tells you that I can safely navigate the Forest without getting hurt or lost and that I can easily sneak past Anbu level guards…" she trailed off before she started babbling and made things worse.

As she fidgeted a little in her chair, a bit nervous despite her earlier reassurance, the old man regarded her with a thoughtful look. Most children entered the academy at the age of eight and then graduated at the age of twelve four years later. Any earlier generally had a detrimental effect on their mentality, as shown by the eccentricities of Maito Gai and Hatake Kakashi. Even Uchiha Itachi had shown the effects of taking high level missions too soon even if it was more subtle. Such large obsessions with spandex, youth, porn, and pocky were not normal no matter how you looked at it. And those were just the side effects.

But despite this he knew that regardless of his efforts Noriko had already had a very hard life; the mask he briefly set his eyes on before looking away from guiltily really just emphasized that fact. Her behavior had changed drastically since the… incident… and though he missed her optimistic cheerfulness he knew that even back then when she smiled she was more often than not forcing it.

If she graduated early, and it was an all too real possibility given her recent rise in skill, he'd just have to keep her to missions ranked lower than B as much as possible. Perhaps keeping her as a Genin until she reached the same age as an academy graduate? If he switched out her team every so often it would give her plenty of experience with working with different personalities and group sizes… He supposed he could work out the details later.

Shaking his head of the speculative thoughts that were beginning to run rampant he turned his attention back to where the six–year-old had been sitting. He was surprised to see an empty chair; he hadn't even sensed her moving. Turning to look around the room he was surprised to see his surrogate granddaughter staring up at the serious picture of his successor/predecessor. The conflicting emotions in her visible eye caused a saddened look to briefly run across his face before he spoke, distracting her from her thoughts.

"Well, I can't really see anything wrong with it when you put it like that, but I don't want you taking too many high ranked missions until you're at least twelve or thirteen." When she made as if to protest the decision he explained the reasons; the horror on her face at the thought of turning into a female version of Maito Gai (whom she had had the dubious pleasure of meeting while making a discrete retreat from one of the sights of her bigger pranks) told him that she probably wouldn't push the boundaries on that too much.

They talked about the arrangements for the coming school year and other more mundane things for awhile before the old man realized that he had far too much work to do if he wanted to be able to visit her tomorrow. Seeing that he had a point when he pointed this out to her Noriko made to leave through the window when she suddenly remembered something. Turning around with an expression that looked absurdly menacing on the face of a six year old girl a shiver worked its way down Sarutobi's spine.

"Oh, and Saru-jiji, if I ever catch you reading that little orange porn book I found in your desk around me you'll wish you were the Hyuuga elders last Friday." With that ultimatum the Third was left to stare in shock at the window the girl had disappeared through. Then he groaned. He should have known who was playing all those pranks without even having to think about it.

Then the threat registered and he slumped down in his chair with a soft whimper, holding the top of his head in an almost protective hold as he did so. He really liked what was left of his hair where it was. He recalled the results of that particular prank; the calls for the prankster's death were quite loud and strident for a clan that had always prided itself on its stoicism.

Giving a sigh he was almost relieved that he had capulated when he did. Anyone who could shave the heads of every Hyuuga elder as they slept … as well as painting the entire compound an eye searing orange… all in the same night… and to get away with it so completely… He didn't want to think about what she might have done to him had he refused. He whimpered again.

.-.

**Four Years Later…**

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked over the sheets of paper that illustrated this year's academy graduates, the teacher's evaluation of them and the recommended teams for their placement. Unsurprisingly his favorite blonde had placed first in her year. What was a bit surprising was that she had done it without showing anything more than the most minor of her skill set; in other words what she considered the mere basics. How she was able to maintain such a high grade point average and pull off more massive and increasingly more elaborate pranks was still a mystery to him.

There was still a problem though; Noriko had not made a single close friend throughout her time at the academy. He had hoped that being around children close to her own age would help to alleviate some of the increasing loneness and isolation he had detected in her demeanor all those years ago. He was wrong; even though she still had the majority of the Shinobi's support, in fact with her inclusion in the academy the amount of her support there had dramatically increased as well, nothing could be done about the civilians' prejudice.

They would tell their children to stay away from the child with dire warnings of what might happen to them if they didn't; the children would then pass the warning on to their friends among the children from shinobi clans. Even though they attempted to reassure their children that there was no danger in hanging around Noriko, that it might even be advisable to do so, the peer pressure proved to be too much. Though the young girl wasn't out right shunned there were still all too few that wished to play with her for any amount of time if they could help it.

Eventually Noriko got used to it but the Sandaime found that the most heartbreaking part of all of it. That it was something that she had to get used to at all was almost unforgivable. But as was the original point; such behavior didn't exactly allow her to form bonds with any of the other members of the class and with the odd number of students passing this year's exam there was no logical place to put her.

He reconsidered what he had first thought about when the small girl child had first asked him if she could enter the academy early. He didn't want to give her a permanent team just yet anyway so this worked out fairly well.

Until her twelfth year she would be a floating genin. She would assist on missions that required more than a genin team but not a full team in assistance. She would be able to take everything from low B-ranks (of course with a team on the higher ranked ones) down to build her experience and when a suitable team emerged from the academy he would assign her a permanent team to take the Chuunin Exams with before her thirteenth birthday.

Writing down the details of his plan he hoped that the girl would appreciate the effort he was going through for this; after all he was the only one who knew that at the age of ten she was fast approaching low Jounin level in skill.**

* * *

* - Think Shirahime from Angelic Layer but more modest and without the tights and leotard.

** - In all actuality at this point Noriko can easily match the skill of a low level Anbu Capitan when going all out but when Sarutobi is around, and even when he's not, she focuses more on control, physical exercises, and sealing than anything else. As a result the Sandaime has only seen her skill match up with that of a very highly skilled chuunin or tokubetsu jounin.

* * *

~ Author's Note ~

I apoplogize for getting this out later than I wanted to. Real life's problems made an appearance and I've been preoccupied all week. This chapter is more filler than anything else but it needed to be done. Also, how do you guys like my fem. Naru so far? We'll get more into her personality in the next few chapters so look forward to it!

On another note please, please, review!

~ Aljan Moonfire ~


	7. Chapter 6: Dreams and Teams

**_Aljan Moonfire does not own Naruto. But you already knew that didn't you._**

"Speaking."

'_Thinking._'

"**Demonic Speaking.**"

'_**Demonic Thinking.**_'

"_Mental Conversation._"

"_**Demonic Mental Conversation**_."

_Flashback and/or Dream_

* * *

**_Chapter 6 – _**

**_Dreams and Teams_**

* * *

**Two Years Later…**

It was a dream.

Noriko knew it was a dream; in fact it was one she had quite frequently over the last several years. Even as the memories compounded themselves and spread across her subconscious mind she knew it was a dream.

But that didn't stop her from being afraid.

Because no matter how hard she tried she couldn't wake up and as the flames licked around her feet she knew…

This was a nightmare.

.-.

_She was running. From what and to where she didn't know. But she was terrified and small and weak – something she had sworn to herself to never be again – and she kept on running, the terror she knew so well pushing her ever onwards._

_Then she tripped and fell and suddenly she was surrounded by what she had been running from. As they closed around her and she looked up at the blank black faces and evil white grins she couldn't help but wonder why she had bothered to run at all. _

_They stretched clawed mockeries of hands towards her and just as they might have touched her and she opened her mouth to scream – _

_She was Falling. Not just falling but Falling._

_Falling, falling, falling, and with a thud she landed spread eagled on the ground. Glancing around franticly she recognized where she was and – _

_- the weight of a grown man's body pinning her to the ground as something - something sharp and pointy that hurt and hurt and hurt - drove through small hands, pinning them to the floor – _

_- and the pain went on and on and on…_

_Reliving the pain she had felt so long ago she opened her mouth to scream but what came out was a voice that wasn't entirely her own - __"__**KI**__TS__**UNE**__-B__**I**__!"- and everything around her went up in frantic flames that reacted to her panic and spread, engulfing everything she could still see. She closed her eye against glare._

_On opening the eye she was startled to see she was no longer in the burning apartment she remembered so well, even after all these years, but on top of the Hokage Monument, facing the trees behind it. Feeling something drip down the side of her face that was normally covered by her mask she raised a trembling hand to it. The scars on her face that she knew should be long since healed were open and bleeding._

_Her right eye widened in shock she clenched her hand – one that was still small and delicate despite all of her training – and didn't even notice the small tear that trailed from her working eye._

_Then suddenly there was a shadowed figure in front of her and still holding her hand against her eye she snarled out, "Who are you?"_

_The figure, one that towered above her own still small stature, didn't reply immediately but when it did it completely ignored her question. "It's your fault isn't it?" was all he said, in a mournful tone._

_Confused she just stared blankly at the shadow. "What's my fault?" she asked warily._

_The man didn't speak again – and the voice he had spoken with sounded awfully familiar – but pointed over her shoulder, behind her and down towards the village. Her right eye widened and she tried with everything in her body not to turn herself around but as if to spite her normally exquisite control of her body she turned nonetheless. _

_She stared in horrified shock as the village she loved beyond almost anything else burned before her. The blue-white flames of what she recognized as fox-fire stretched to unimaginable highs as they fed on the wooden bones of what had been the strongest hidden village in the Elemental Countries. Frozen in an awful combination of horror and terror and awe she was unable to even collapse to her knees before her destroyed home. _

_The familiar voice of the shadowed stranger echoed around her with a tone of unfathomable sadness as the flames began to lick around her feet, "So, it's your fault after all then, Noriko."_

_Just as she tilted her head back to scream in grief –_

She woke up.

Sitting up with a jerk and a gasp she immediately raised her hand to the left side of her face and let out a sigh of relief at the familiar feel of the scars beneath her fingers. '_So, it was that dream again then._' She thought. Relaxing a bit but still breathing hard she ran the same hand through the soft cascade of her hair, pulling it over the marks that marred the majority of her face to pool in her lap.

Sighing again she turned to the digital clock that sat on the small table beside her bed and groaned at the time. 4:30 in the morning was not her preferred time to rise and meet the day. In fact, when she didn't have nightmares, she loved sleeping and slept whenever and wherever she got the chance. Sarutobi had often compared her to the Nara when he learned of this habit of hers.

Seeing no point in going back to sleep now though she rose and made her way in a zombie-like fashion to the bathroom that connected to the master bedroom, her hair trailing on the floor behind her. On that day, over six years ago now, when she had first slept in the Tower she had claimed the cloud room for herself. However, that simply decorated room that she had felt so safe in wasn't actually the master bedroom. She had known this though and when she finally became a genin two years ago she had moved herself to the room she now inhabited

The real master bedroom was decorated with a mix of silver and pale blue giving the place the feeling of ice and water and snow. It was actually very soothing. The main part of the room was at least twice the size of the cloud room and contained an emperor bed, in contrast to the queen sized one of her previous room. The bed itself was more like a giant futon raised onto a platform and soft white sheets covered it like a blanket of snow. Along with the snowflake wallpaper it reminded her of her mindscape and made her feel very comfortable.

The soft plush carpets that covered the floor of the room were the same white color as the sheets but were randomly interspersed with soft splashes of different shades of blue. The accents of the room, such as lamp shades door handles were in soft shades of blue as well. The room itself had a wedge shape that came from where it was positioned. The whole back wall of the room was the outside wall of the tower and was covered with random and wide windows that gave an awe-inspiring view of the Forest. On the two sides of the wedge were the walk-in closet and the bathroom she had just entered.

The bathroom was a massive structure that was more like a hot spring than anything else. Along the side of the wall that held the door that opened onto the bedroom was a long counter made of an ice white marble that complimented the color scheme of the master bedroom. It contained three sinks and held all of the grooming supplies that a girl, or even three girls for that matter, could ever need, from make up to hair curlers and a straightening iron. Above the counter a long, high quality mirror reflected the rest of the room and the tired form of still waking kunoichi.

The tiled floor of the bathing room was a mix of icy swirls that tilted down on a slight incline towards a drain. On the other side of the long room a truly massive bath tub was sunk into the floor. It resembled a small swimming pool more than any thing else and smooth water-proof cushions covered the edges as well as the sides and bottom of the tub, making it an excellent place to relax.

With a snap of her fingers Noriko had the hot water pouring into large tub but she herself made her way towards the shower stall at the end of the room. Ten minutes later she got out of the shower and after squeezing the excess water out of the ridiculously long strands of her hair she pinned them above her head with a large clip she grabbed off of the counter. She then made her way over to the steaming bath and sank down into the hot water with a soft sigh, leaning her head back against the cushions in contentment.

.-.

An hour later Noriko, feeling completely refreshed and awake, emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a think white yukata that hung off one of her shoulders loosely. Shrugging the robe like garment back onto her shoulder she secured the garment about her waist with a sash and opened the door of the walk-in closet on the other side of the room.

The walk-in closet was one of the things that showed that this house had mostly been inhabited by women, and powerful women at that. In fact it almost couldn't be qualified as a closet. It was more like a private mall. If it weren't for storage and space seals the amount of clothing in the place would take up almost two floors of the tower.

It had every kind of clothing or costume you could ever want (or need) and was periodically updated every few months with the latest fashions (and non-fashions) in every size and for every gender that you could ever imagine by automated seals. It was due to this closet that Noriko never had to worry about clothes shopping again.

Considering how the villagers treated her she wouldn't have been surprised if she had been forced wear something of the likes of that awful orange jumpsuit again. Closing the door behind her she went to chose her out fit for the day. Observing the racks of clothes and shoes and scrolls she sighed. This might take awhile.

.-.

It was another hour until she finally was ready to go and prepared to leave the Tower. As she pulled on her shoes she looked at the clock and realized that it was almost eight o'clock. She knew that if she didn't move fast she wouldn't make it to her appointment with Jiji at said time.

Sitting up she put her hands together under the long sleeves of the outfit she had finally decided on to form the seals of a jutsu she had conned out of one of the older jounin. With a light _poof_ of smoke she disappeared from the room.

.-.

Sarutobi glanced around the room as he waited for the arrival of one of his most promising genin. In the two years since she had graduated Noriko had progressed in leaps and bounds. He knew that it would be impossible to give her the title of anything but genius. Graduating early was one thing, especially when you entered early in the first place, but to complete any mission from D to mid B-rank with an almost flawless record had turned a lot more heads.

He knew that in order for her to go to the Chuunin Exams this year, and she would have to with the pressure from the 'new' council to promote her, she would need the best of the class. That meant the Rookie of the Year, Uchiha Sasuke, would be put on her team.

He had a few reservations about that, but because it was only based on what he had gleaned of Noriko's opinion of 'the Last Uchiha' (as the civilians called him) it didn't really hold much weight; especially since it had become much harder to read what Noriko was really thinking over that last few years.

The other would have to be able to work around the personalities of the other two members of the squad and be able to think on his feet almost as fast as Noriko can, otherwise he wouldn't be able to keep up. The only ones he could see who might fit that role would be Aburame Shino and Nara Shikamaru. The Aburame however had already been requested by Yuuhi Kurenai to form a tracking team with the Hyuuga and the Inuzuka.

With the Nara's just barely passing grades it would be easy to put him on the same team as the Rookie of the Year if it weren't for the original Ino-Shika-Cho trio pushing for a reformation with their children taking their spots. However, after some careful and discrete observation it quickly became apparent that despite Shikamaru and Chouji's long standing friendship they found it hard to get along with Ino's bossy and fangirl-ish attitude. It was eventually decided that a team of consisting of Uchiha Sasuke, Nara Shikamaru, and Uzumaki Noriko held the most potential, even if the odds were stacked in their favor.

If they did this however they were going to need to do something about the last team. Having Ino and Sakura on the same team was clearly a disaster waiting to happen. They eventually decided to switch out the Hyuuga with the Haruno with the hopes that Yuuhi might be able to turn the pinkette into a decent kunoichi, especially with her promise in genjutsu.

Hinata would be placed on Team 10 with the Akimichi and the Yamanaka in the hopes that being around a more confident girl like Ino would help to shore up the Heiress' confidence. Despite Kurenai's wishes he knew what could happen if a team was too specialized and the young jounin needed to get over her failure with Yakumo; perhaps breaking in a young fangirl kunoichi could help her with that.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the puff of white smoke that heralded the arrival of his favorite blonde who, with a silent nod of greeting, sat on the chair in front of his desk and crossed her legs in front of herself. However, before he began to speak he took a double take at what the genin was wearing. Her legs were covered only by long stockings made of a dense mesh fishnet and her feet by high-heeled ninja sandals much like those his former student, Tsunade, wore, except in a dark purple color.

Over them she wore a loose yukata much like her old one, except this was in a deep elegant royal purple with icy blue accents. The bottom of it flared away from her legs, baring them to the world but hiding anything too private, and ending over a foot above her ankles.

The upper part of the causal kimono was bound with a wide obi that ended right beneath her, not inconsiderable for her age, chest. The shoulders of the garment hung stylishly off her shoulders leaving only her long hair to cover them. The sleeves themselves were long enough to cover her hands and then some, hiding the ever-present gloves that Sarutobi knew would be there. Her half-mask was there, much as it always was, though this one was the same icy blue as the accents on her yukata.

Her hair, bright as ever in the slightly darkened room, shone from where it was gathered into a loose bun on top of her head and secured with a few ornamental hair pins he was sure were probably senbon. Long locks of hair that when compared with the rest of it might even qualify as bangs framed her face and hung in front of her shoulders, obscuring them from view.

He knew that she loved to get a reaction from people but this was a little much, even for her. He supposed she wanted to provoke an interesting one from her new teammates. He sighed as he raised an exasperated eyebrow at the pre-teen in front of him. He knew very well by now that most of what she was wearing was probably almost indestructible or could be used as a weapon despite its beauty but he still couldn't help but stare every time he saw her like this.

She gave a light cough to shake him out of his slight trance and her gave slight shake of his head and turned his attention to briefing Noriko on what she could expect from her new teammates.

.-.

Fifteen minutes later found her staring at the building she had graduated from two years ago. A sad glint appeared in her eye as she caught sight of the wooden swing that hung from the branch of a tree in the main courtyard.

She remembered claiming that swing as her own on her first day as she, surrounded by new friends, chattered and smiled, dodging questions about her mask the whole time. The next day though over half of her new friends were avoiding her and over the next few weeks the rest were convinced to abandon her as well.

By the next month she was left stare out across the playing children that almost immediately abandoned any game she attempted to join them in. Quickly noticing the glares of the civilian adults when they came to pick up their children she deduced what had happened. Peer pressure was a horrible thing and she couldn't really blame the children.

She blamed the parents.

Over the next year or so she had resigned herself to a lonely school life and when she found the Kage Bunshin Jutsu in the Tower library she had never been so grateful. From that point on she had sent a Bunshin reinforced with her kitsune chakra to class and spent her time on other – better - things.

"_**Feeling nostalgic, Noriko-chan?**_" The familiar voice that echoed from the depths of her consciousness broke her out of her remembrance of the years she had spent here.

Her face immediately lost its sad look. "_No._" Shaking her head as if to rid it of the memories she continued her leisurely walk to the building.

.-.

**Meanwhile, inside the building…**

Iruka stood in front of the podium in his classroom, eyebrow twitching as the majority of the excited class in front of him chattered on, oblivious to his darkening mood. '_Why did I take this job again? Oh yea, because the pay's good and I just __**love**__ children.'_ Giving a mental sigh at his sarcastic thoughts he returned his attention to the mob of children in front of him.

"SHUT UP YOU BRATS!" the effects of his widely known and feared (at least in the academy) Demon Head Jutsu rocked through the room. As if by magic all of the newly graduated genin were quietly sitting in their seats with a slightly shell-shocked look.

With a slight smile he began the speech he gave to every one of his graduating classes. "Congratulations to all of you who have managed to make it this far. However, the road ahead of you will only get harder from this point on. You are now genin, the lowest of the low, and as such adults. I'm proud of you all for making it this far and I wish you luck on the journey ahead of you. If you remember nothing else, remember this; you now represent our village, the oldest and strongest of all shinobi villages. Take pride in that."

As Iruka finished his speech several cheers sounded throughout the room from the more exuberant students. After they died down however Iruka was quick to speak up once more.

"Now then, as per tradition you have been divided into teams of three along with a jounin instructor. Team 1…" He began to list the names of the teams and their members. Then he got to Team 7.

"Team 7: Jounin Instructor, Hatake Kakashi. Members, Uchiha Sasuke," at this name quite a few of the girls in the class, including Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino, leaned forward in anticipation, sure that they would be paired with their true love.

Iruka however, ignored this and continued, "Nara Shikamaru," At his name Shikamaru raised his head from where he had been pretending to sleep in surprise. He had thought he would be placed with Chouji. He gave a sigh and thought. '_Well, even if he is troublesome at least he's not Ino._' Sasuke had similar thoughts though his were more in the range of all his fangirls.

"And –" he was cut off both by his own shock at the name and the door of the classroom sliding open. The girl framed by the door was quite familiar, even if what she was wearing wasn't. "And, Uzumaki Noriko." He finished, giving the girl a nod.

She gave him a smirk and spoke, "Well, your as stiff as ever aren't you Scar-sensei?" She stepped into the room, giving everyone there a good view of her.

He just sighed at the familiar nickname and replied, "What are you wearing, Noriko?"

"Oh this?" she said, twirling, the sleeves and bottom of her yukata spreading around her as she did so. She stopped after a single rotation to reply, "Just something I threw on this morning."

He sighed again at the girl's familiar antics, "Well, go sit with one of your new teammates I suppose, I'll have to talk with you after I finish assigning the teams."

She turned to do just that when she finally noticed the reactions of the rest of the class to her sudden appearance. The females in the room, aside from the ever shy Hinata, were glaring at her with repressed killing intent and jealously. Most of the males were either drooling slightly or staring with unabashed shock. In fact, the only reaction she couldn't judge with a glance was that of the Aburame.

"Who the hell are you?" the question erupted in a screechy soprano from the throat of one Haruno Sakura as she seethed in jealousy. Who was this bitch that stole _her _place on _her _Sasuke-kun's team? The same sentiments were quickly echoed by the rest of the females (aside from Hinata of course) in the room.

Noriko's visible eyebrow twitched in irritation at the high pitched screech. She took one look at the pinkette and came to an obvious conclusion. '_A fangirl_.' "I'm Uzumaki Noriko," she said. "And you, fangirls that you are, clearly shame the name of every serious kunoichi that has ever graduated from this academy. I hope you're proud of yourselves." She finished, punctuating her last statement with a small dose of killer intent and scorn.

The rest of the class could only gape at her as she, smirking again in satisfaction at the shocked looks, strode up the raised bleacher-like desks to sit on the same row as Uchiha Sasuke.

.-.

Shikamaru's first impression of his new teammate was something he had never thought of a girl before. '_Beautiful…_' Then he shook off the effect of her appearance to discretely analyze her as a shinobi. Her movements were precise and balanced; carrying the grace only archived by one highly trained in taijutsu and the ninja arts. As she moved, despite her high heels, she didn't make a sound.

Her appearance carried with it a weight he had only felt once before, in the presence of the Hokage. When he had later asked his father about it he had said that that kind of feeling hung only around those of truly immense chakra capacity. It was like your instincts flashing a 'Dangerous!' sign over their head, because anyone with that much chakra was, or had the potential to be, truly dangerous.

Her outfit, while flashy, was also clearly designed to allow easy movement and he had no doubt the she had many weapons hidden about her person. He came to the conclusion that this young girl, clearly his own age, maybe even younger, was far more skilled than the chuunin she had just finished speaking with.

As he watched her chew out the girls of his graduating class with a few pointed sentences he could only come to one conclusion.

'_This girl is going to be… Troublesome._'

.-.

Uchiha Sasuke had never been even remotely attracted to anyone of the female gender.* Before the Massacre he had simply been too young. After said disaster he had been far too focused on achieving his revenge against his traitorous elder brother. That changed the moment Uzumaki Noriko stepped into the room.

Long golden hair piled onto her head in a deliberately messy fashion. A single amused blue eye taking in everything with a glance. The elegant twirl showing off her strong and graceful limbs. He could tell that she was not a fangirl. She was a kunoichi. And she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

When she made her way up to sit at the same desk as him he could barely breathe, and when she turned to give him a wink in greeting he felt his heart stop for a second before racing again. He had to look down at his desk to gather his composure before nodding in reply.

This girl…she was different. When she had caught sight of him a flash of something familiar in her demeanor caught his attention, something he knew he should recognize.

It wasn't until she had left to talk to Iruka that he finally recognized it as the loneliness he had felt so often since the night his clan had been eradicated. What he couldn't figure out though was why someone as…as…stunning as her would know the taste of something like that.

And he would do everything in his power to figure out how and why.

* * *

* - Or of the male gender, despite rumors to the contrary.

* * *

~ Author's Note ~

So, in this chapter I think I given you a bit more of Noriko's personality. If you've noticed I have kept a few things from the original Naruto here. First is quite obviously her pranking and with a shadow clone taking care of her classes they only increased over time, both in size and effect.

Second is her attitude. Much like the original Naruto she wants to be noticed and though she goes about it a different way she certainly gets the attention she wants. One the downsides of this sort of attention though is the increasing number of fan clubs devoted to her. Fanboys are a terrifying thing.

Simply because she is female a lot of her thought processes have changed as well. While Naruto would simply charge headfirst into a problem without thinking it through first Noriko is much more likely to think things through so they come out more to her advantage.

As a result a lot of the scrapes Naruto tumbles into won't be much of a problem for her, but you'll find out more about that, and how it effects Noriko's fighting style, in the next few chapters. All I'll say is that unlike Naruto she won't end up a virtual clone of one of her parents in any way.

I think I'll stop here before I ramble too much and, my dear readers, please, please REVIEW!

~ Aljan Moonfire ~


	8. Chapter 7: Reactions and Introductions

_**Aljan Moonfire does not own Naruto in any way, shape or form. You happy now?**_

"Speaking."

'_Thinking._'

"**Demonic Speaking**."

'_**D******__e_monic Thinking.'

_Flashback and/or Dream_

"**_Lyrics._** "_**

* * *

**_

_**Chapter 7 –**_

_**Reactions and Introductions**_

* * *

**During the team assignments, in the Hokage's office… **

The Hokage looked around at the gathered jounin, and smiled as Kakashi arrived with an excuse on his lips. "No need for excuses, Kakashi. I told you the meeting was two hours earlier than it actually was so you're just on time." He ignored what could have been a pout and turned to the rest of the jounin. Still smiling he pulled out his crystal ball beckoned them to come closer. "Now, let's take a look at your future students, shall we?"

The jounin gathered close and leaned over the orb as the image of a classroom appeared in it. They watched as Iruka gave his customary speech and listed off the first few generic teams that they all knew would probably fail. Then he came to Team 7 and Kakashi leaned in a bit closer at the sound of his name. He already knew a bit about his new subordinates but he hadn't had the time to see them personally.

The first two had relatively neutral reactions to learning they would be on the same team, giving him hope that teaching them proper teamwork wouldn't be too hard. The entrance of the last member shocked him into a stunned silence though. The name and her coloring were unmistakable but the young woman framed in the orb was completely different from the child he used to guard from harm so long ago.

What shocked him the most though was how pretty the girl was; in a few years she'd be a complete knockout. However, the cold shinobi part of him couldn't help but notice the way she moved and the scolding she gave the females of the class only solidified it in his mind. This was a serious, and skilled, kunoichi.

'_But still_,' he wondered, '_just what can I teach this girl_?'

He pretty much ignored the rest of the team assignments, though the pink haired girl's strident objections to being on the same squad as the Aburame and the Inuzuka made him wince in sympathy for the recently promoted jounin in charge of them.

As soon as the Sandaime dismissed the meeting he disappeared in a small puff of smoke, his mind racing a mile a minute. Eventually he decided to treat them as he would any other team, at least until they proved themselves different from the rest. He had the strange feeling that it wouldn't take too long.

.-.

Umino Iruka was a very kind man. But it was undeniable that he was also a straight-laced stiff that didn't know how to flirt worth a damn. It was partly because of this that Noriko enjoyed teasing him so much.

"So, Scar-sensei…" she trailed off as she leaned closer and stared up at him through dark lashes, a teasing glint apparent in her eye.

Iruka blushed and turned his head away from her as he sat in the stiff chair behind his desk in the small office off of his classroom. Refusing to make eye contact with her he sighed and took the bait, "What, Noriko?"

She pouted and abruptly changed the topic, "How many times have I told you to call me Noriko-chan, sensei?"

"At least one more time, Noriko."

Normally he wouldn't have any problem using such a familiar suffix with a former student but he knew that if he conceded to Noriko's request she might go far enough to try and make him do something far more embarrassing, like get drunk. She knew just as well as he did that he was a lightweight when it came to alcohol, but that just made it all the more fun for her.

Theirs was a strange relationship. When Noriko had first entered the Academy six years ago Iruka only knew as much about her as the average chuunin level shinobi. She was a Jinchuuriki, and he should be respectful and kind should he ever meet her. It wasn't until two years later that they began to get to know each other beyond a sort of distant student-teacher relationship.

It was then that he had heard about a good ramen shop just off the market district and went there for a bite to eat on his break. When he entered the shop he was surprised to find the normally almost mute blonde chatting with the waitress and devouring bowl after bowl of ramen.

In fact, he was more surprised to see her speaking amiably with any civilian at all. He had been under the impression that the majority of the civilian population disliked her and even those that didn't avoided her on a regular basis.

He watched the two females chatter about incomprehensible female things for the better part of an hour as he slowly ate his ramen. His curiosity about his student pricked, after she left he stared a conversation about her with the pretty young waitress. He learned quite a few things about her from the waitress and left with a warning to never get on her bad side ringing in his ears. Who would have thought that the famous Mysterious Prankster was actually Noriko?

However, it wasn't until he found her being ridiculed by several nasty housewives that they began to get at all close. He had stopped by the market on his way home from the Academy to pick up something for dinner when he caught sight of the incident.

Noriko had been attempting to buy a few large bags of rice from the teller and behind her, clearly within earshot, several middle aged women were snidely insulting her in rather loud voices. With every shot they took at her he could see her tensing against the verbal blows. It wasn't until he caught sight of her face though that he stepped in.

Her face, what he could see of it at least, was blanked of emotion and her visible eye showed her struggling to suppress them; a deep anger, unfathomable loneliness, and an unbearable sadness that mirrored what he could so vividly remember of his own time alone after the Kyuubi attack were more than apparent. But it was the slightly trembling hands that were so carefully packing away her purchases that really got to him.

He can't remember exactly what he had said but he recalled scolding them like they were school children, except in harsher language. He had then paid for his own stuff and under the astonished eyes of everyone there, including Noriko, helped the girl bag her things and then dragged her out of the store.

Their short conversation after that he can remember as clearly as if it were yesterday though.

**Flashback**

_Once they got a decent distance from the store Iruka paused for a moment to catch his breath. Noriko took the opportunity to remove her wrist from his grip. He watched as she lightly rubbed the place his hand had griped her, as if to check for injury with an inscrutable expression on his face._

"…" _she muttered something under her breath at him._

"_What was that, Noriko?" he asked._

_She gave a soft sigh and spoke up, "Why did you do that, Iruka-sensei." The question somehow managed to come out sounding like a statement. _

"_You mean defending you or tugging you out of the store?"_

_She frowned a bit and dropped her hands to lie against her sides. "Both." Despite the shinobis' quiet support of her no one except the Hokage and the Ichirakus had ever defended her in such a way, and she barely even knew the Academy Instructor._

_He frowned and looked away from her with a slight flush across his check bones hinting at his belated embarrassment at his outburst. "Well, I wasn't really thinking about what I was doing. You kind of remind me of how I was when I was younger and I guess what those old biddies were doing kind of set me off. After that I just wanted to get out of there but I wasn't about to leave you behind by yourself so…" he trailed off as he began to babble and tried to judge what she was thinking. _

"_Oh." She said softly. she had suspected that he might have done it under orders or something; but that he would defend her without even really knowing her all by himself… it kind of embarrassed her and made her feel warm deep in her chest at the same time. She flushed lightly and with a small smile the child looked up at him with a soft expression that rarely crossed her face. Iruka himself was shocked at the raw emotion there._

"_Thank you." was all she said but the gratitude and awe at such a simple action was more than apparent. Umino Iruka had just made it onto Noriko's very short list of precious people. It proved to be a good choice on her part._

**Flashback End**

After that they had slowly gotten closer and soon Noriko saw him as the big brother she'd never had. Iruka himself found that she was actually far more exuberant than she displayed in class; often he would tell her of his own pranking exploits as a child and saw the results in a few eerily familiar pranks played on the market district. He doubted the neon purple paint would ever come out.

He had watched on with amusement and pride as she grew up and despaired at some of her more excessive antics. When she had graduated at the top of her class two years later he couldn't have been prouder. As a graduating gift to herself she had ousted herself as the Mysterious Prankster by allowing herself to be caught with evidence after she finished her…decoration…of the Hokage Monument.

After that though she had started missions and only played pranks to discretely get back at those that angered her. Though he didn't know it, it was his inference and attention that had finally given her the confidence to let out the social kitsune nature that had been bubbling beneath her stoic surface. For that she had sworn to always protect him, and as a result when Mizuki betrayed the village a year or so later and somehow ended up attacking Iruka there wasn't much left of him to be found afterwards.

Lately though she had been practicing her flirting tactics on him and counted every blush as a success. She had yet to tell him this though and his confusion only added to her enjoyment of the exercise. He tried to return to what they were originally talking about before Noriko tried to get him to blush.

"Now, what do you think of your teammates?"

She gave him an unreadable half-lidded look, then sighed and looked away. As she thought on his question she retreated to the small window that looked over the front courtyard of the academy. She caught sight of the swing again and frowned before turning around to face him again.

With her back to the sunlight she became a mere shadow, framed by the sun. Then she leaned back on the window sill and replied, "The Nara seems to be much like any of his clan, lazy but intelligent. His analytical skills may be above even their average though; he knew that I was far more skilled than any genin should be without even speaking to me." She then paused for a second before tilting her head away and continuing. "The Uchiha… well, he seems like he broods too much and just by his reaction when I winked at him he may be developing a small crush on me. I'll reserve any further judgment until I get to know them better." She said diplomatically.

He nodded in agreement at her assessment and then glanced at the clock. "We'd better get going. The jounin sensei should be arriving soon." She looked at the time herself and agreed, though with her sensei she may just have to wait a few hours anyway.

.-.

As she had thought, it was hours before her new sensei arrived. The other senseis had come within minutes of the end of the break to gather their new students. After half an hour of waiting with the three remaining genin Iruka had had to leave as well.

The three, left to their own devices, soon occupied themselves with other things. Sasuke divided his time between reading a technique scroll he had brought along and watching Noriko. Shikamaru, finding waiting to be troublesome, fell asleep. Noriko herself had nothing to do either and soon followed her teammate into slumber.

She almost immediately woke again in her mindscape.

.-.

Over the course of the years the basic structure of the mind plane hadn't changed much from her original modifications. Snow still covered the ground in an endless blanket of white. The white fluff still fell from a clear blue sky and the forest of her subconscious was as dark as ever; but beneath the massive cherry tree a small place to rest had been laid out.

A soft green carpet rested on top of the snow and on the soft plush two white lounging chaises faced each other over a low wooden tea table. Around the resting area ten small balls of fox-fire hovered, casting conflicting and mysterious shadows over everything. They had first appeared after Noriko had gained her first tail, though at that time they had all consisted of a dull see through white color. The Kyuubi had told her that each one represented one of her tail's essences.

Each tail represented a certain element. The first five embodied the five earthly elements: Water, Fire, Earth, Air, and Lightning. As a result any tailed kitsune was a master, or at least a user, of at least one element. A true five-tailed kitsune is one that has mastered all five of the earthly elements and can use them both interchangeably and together in combined elements such as Wood, Ice, or Lava.

While not as powerful as a kitsune with more tails the sheer amount of techniques available to their use makes them very versatile. Noriko had only recently mastered her fifth tail in the past few months and was now working on combined elements with the assistance of numerous Kage Bunshin.

The first tail had been transferred a month after she had first entered the academy. To smooth the transition the Bijuu had chosen to transfer the tail of Noriko's natural earthly element: Air, or Wind. The transfer had gone very smoothly and much better than expected in the fox's opinion, though Noriko would disagree. As the kitsune had warned her when they had first made their deal it hurt. A lot.

When Noriko had begun to scream the Ninetails, now Eighttails, had reflected that having your chakra system ripped apart and then put back together in a different way as your body and soul fought against changing species must be quite painful. The successive tails didn't hurt as much though because she was already a kitsune.

Over her years at the academy she had slowly achieved and mastered a tail's power every year. The first was devoted to the Air Tail, the second to the Earth, the third to the Lightning, and so on. She mastered the Tail of Water just after graduation but, because it was her weakest natural element, it took her over a year and a half to finally perfect her use of the Fire Tail.

She was now sufficiently occupied with learning to combine her two strongest elements, Wind and Water, to last her a month or so, even with shadow clones helping her out. She wanted to be ready for the sixth tail by the end of the year though, so even that was an estimate.

As a result every other orb of fire glowed brightly with a different color. Wind was a pale silver-gray, Earth a dark, soft brown, Lightning was a bright, crackling yellow, Water a deep, flowing blue, and Fire was a burnt orange-red that seemed as if it was just waiting to set something aflame. A faint line of light had begun to form between the Water and Wind flames, displaying the result of her efforts to utilize the two together.

As had happened ever since she had set up the area in her mind when she woke she was lying on one of the chaises, facing where the former Bijuu was sipping at a small cup of tea. Now that Noriko was working on her mastery of her five tails the former Kyuubi only had four tails to work with, making her technically less powerful than her 'daughter'. Of course, her millennia of experience and endless chakra reserves served her well and she still won the majority of their spars.

Still, Noriko's progress was both astonishing and awe-inspiring to her. It sometimes took kitsune _centuries_ to reach Noriko's current level of power. Either way though, with Noriko's latest increase in power she had more tails than she herself did. As a gift and out of the trust that had sprung up between the two over the years, she had given Noriko her true name. Everything in the world had a true name, one that detonates every they have ever and will ever be, given to them by the Gods at their birth.

This name is virtually unpronounceable and gives the person who knows it the authority of a God over the name's barer, should they choose to use it. Noriko of course, would never use it on one who had given her such trust, but by giving her name to Noriko the fox had given Noriko seniority over herself and would have to obey any direct order given to her by the young girl. The two however were closer than ever before though, and Noriko had given the fox sprit a use-name of for everyday conversations such as this one.

She had decided to call her Arisa.

"**Sleeping again, are we?**" commented said kitsune.

Noriko gave a noncommittal grunt of agreement and opened her eye to glace over at her foster mother. "Yeah. Kakashi seems to be as late as the rumors say he always is and I was getting bored."

Arisa gave a small smile at that, "**Did you just come in here to pass the time then?**"

"Yes," she said bluntly. "I even set it up so time would go faster in here."

The woman raised an eyebrow at that, "**You really must be bored then.**" She looked at the younger female with a contemplative expression for a moment before continuing, "**Do you have time to play me a song?**" she asked.

A few years ago, before Noriko became close to Iruka, Arisa had noticed that just about all Noriko did in her free time was train and eat ramen. Being so completely shunned by children her own age had gotten to her more than it might of seemed and bottling up so many negative feelings like that couldn't be good for anyone.

So, the fox had suggested the girl take up a hobby. After trying a few things Noriko had eventually settled on music, and so, every so often, while her clones continued to slave away in the training rooms, Noriko would go up to her greenhouse retreat and just play, releasing her stress. The exercise soon turned into one she enjoyed and she began writing her own songs. Much to Arisa's enjoyment the music she composed was actually really good.

Noriko sighed at the other kitsune's subtly eager expression and materialized an acoustic guitar. "All right; what would you like to hear?"

"**Hmmm…**" Arisa thought for a moment be fore replying, "**I liked that Landslide one…**" she mused.

"Landslide it is then." The girl said with finality and sitting up into a cross-legged position, she rested the instrument on her knees and began to play, and then sing, her voice staring off softly and then gaining confidence.

"_**I took my love and I took you down, hmmm,**_

_**Climbed a mountain and I turned around…**_

_**And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills,**_

_**Well, the landslide brought me down.**_"

_**Ohh, Mirror in the sky,**_

_**What is love?**_

_**Can the child within my heart rise above?**_

_**Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?**_

_**Can I handle the seasons of my life?**_

_**Oh oh, oh, Oh oh, Oh oh, Oh oh ~**_

_**Well I've been afraid of changin'**_

'_**Cause I've built my life around you;**_

_**But time makes you bolder,**_

_**And children get older,**_

_**And I'm getting older too –**_

_**Well ~**_

_**Well, I've been afraid of changin'**_

'_**Cause I've built my life around you;**_

_**But time makes you bolder,**_

_**And children get older,**_

_**And I'm getting older too~**_

_**Well, I'm getting older too.**_"

_**So~**_

_**Take this love, and take me down…**_

_**Yeah~**_

_**And if you climb a mountain and you turn around –**_

_**And if you see my refection in the snow covered hills,**_

_**Well, the landslide brought me down…**_

_**And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills –**_

_**Well, maybe ~**_

_**Well, maybe ~**_

_**Well, May - be ~…**_

_**The landslide'll bring you down…**_"*

As the playing trailed off Noriko opened the eye she had closed when she began singing. Arisa smiled at her and softly complimented her, "**Beautiful as always, Noriko-chan.**"

Noriko gave her a shy smile in return and loosened her grip on the guitar to reach up and fiddle with a stray strand of hair. Arisa was the only person she had ever played for and any compliment the kitsune gave her on her music was greatly appreciated, even if they kind of embarrassed her.

Then the girl suddenly jerked her head up and vanished from the mindscape. It seemed Hatake Kakashi had finally arrived.

.-.

Noriko woke up and raised her head from where it had been resting in the crook of her elbow to glance at the clock. It seemed that two hours had passed since she had managed to doze off. She leaned over to poke her slumbering teammate awake and then turned her attention to the door of the classroom. The two boys stared confusedly at her for a moment before turning to look at the door as well, and just in time to see their new sensei slide it open.

He was a relatively tall man, around 5' 10 ", and the impression of height was only furthered by the gravity defying silver hair that stood out at a slight angle from his head. The bottom half of his face was covered by a blue fabric face mask and his hitai-ate was slanted to cover his left eye, leaving only his right eye and the area around it visible. The rest of his outfit consisted of plain shinobi pants, a long sleeved shirt, black shinobi sandals, black gloves with metal backs engraved with the hidden leaf symbol, and the standard jounin vest.

He looked over the three genin with a lazy eye and then spoke, "My first impression… well, you're quiet at least." With that blunt statement he ignored the confused faces of his audience. "Well, meet me on the roof in ten minutes then." He told them this and then disappeared in a poof of smoke.

The three genin got up and moved out the door, Shikamaru trailing a bit behind and still trying to wake up. Within the appointed ten minutes the three were gathered on the roof, and facing their new sensei, though Shikamaru was still yawning a bit.

Then Kakashi reached over to his breast pocket to withdraw his ever present orange book. Noriko caught sight of the color of the cover and thought, '_Well, doesn't that just figure; my first real shinobi sensei is a pervert!_'

Before he even got a chance to open it though, Kakashi was suddenly blasted with an immense amount of killing intent. He might have been imagining it but suddenly the world around him got darker and he slowly, instinctively, turned his head to look at his only female student. Noriko's hair threw a shadow over her eye and creepy balls of fox-fire suddenly burst into existence on either side of her head.

Then she began to speak in a sickeningly sweet voice laced with even more killer intent. "Kakashi_-sensei_, if you _ever_ read that book in my presence I will burn it, and you, to ashes. **Got it**?" As she said the last her visible eye flashed red for a second, thoroughly unnerving the males around her. The jounin could only give a shaky nod of agreement before sliding his precious porn safely back into it's pocket.

As soon as the book disappeared back into Kakashi's pocket the sun seemed to come back out and Noriko was all smiles again, though the hint of danger still lurked in her eyes when she glanced at Kakashi. '_Note to self: Never piss off that girl, and never even attempt to read Icha Icha in front of her…_' thought the jounin.

After taking a few moments to gather himself Kakashi decided to ignore what just happened for the moment. "Alight then, let's begin with some introductions." He said lazily.

Shikamaru yawned again and asked, "Well, what do you want to know?"

"How about… your likes, dislikes, dreams for the future, hobbies, stuff like that." He answered.

"How about you go first, sensei?" Asked Noriko.

"Me? Well, I have no desire to tell you guys about my likes and dislikes. Dreams for the future…? Hmmm. Well, I have lots of hobbies." The completely uninformative introduction just got him blank stares from his new subordinates.

'_That didn't tell us a thing!_' was the prevalent thought.

"Now, it's your turn, on the left." He continued.

"Troublesome…" said genin muttered under his breath before speaking up. "Nara Shikamaru. I like things that aren't troublesome and my best friend, Chouji. I dislike boiled eggs. My dream is to marry a regular girl who isn't too ugly and not too pretty… have two children, first a girl, and then a boy…retire after my daughter is married and my son becomes a successful ninja, and spend the rest of my life playing shougi or go. Then die of old age before my wife. My hobbies… cloud watching and playing shougi or go, I guess." He drawled all this out in a monotone that just about oozed laziness.

'_Well, that was detailed_,' thought Kakashi with a slow blink before turning to the brunette Uchiha in the center. "You, the broody one, you're next."

Said Uchiha scowled at the description before apparently deciding to ignore it and begin his introduction. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I don't like much of anything." he swiftly glanced in Noriko's direction before continuing, "There are tons of things I dislike though, including my hordes of fangirls. And… I don't want to use the word 'dream' but I have an ambition. The resurrection of my clan and… to kill a certain man. Hobbies… Training, I guess."

There was a bit of an awkward silence for a moment as the other three stared at him for a while. '_I thought so…_' Was Kakashi's thought. Then he cleared his throat and pointed at the only female of the group. "Alright, blondie, it's your turn." He said.

"Blondie…?" she muttered, before commencing her own introduction, "I'm Uzumaki Noriko, I like sleeping and ramen. I dislike how long it takes for ramen to cook, fan-boys, and the majority of the civilian population of this village." At the last she got similar stares as Sasuke had gotten when voicing his ambition.

"My dream… I_ will _become Hokage." This pronouncement was said with an unshakable certainty that surprised the tree males. "And this village _will_ acknowledge me." The seriousness with which she said this left no doubt that she would find a way to do it. "My hobbies are playing pranks and music." She finished with an amused smile at their reactions.

'_She's grown up in an interesting way…_' thought the jounin. "Well, that's enough of that. We will start our duties tomorrow."

"What kind of duties?" asked Sasuke suspiciously.

"First we are going to do something with just the four of us," he said seriously.

"What?" Sasuke replied again with an irritated air.

"Survival training."

"Survival training?" asked Shikamaru with an exasperated air, "Didn't we do enough of that at the academy?"

"I will be your opponent and this won't be normal training."

"Then what is it?" Noriko probed. Kakashi just chuckled a bit.

Getting a bad feeling about this Shikamaru spoke up again, "Why are you laughing, sensei…?"

"No… Well, it's just that when I tell you this you're going to flip."

"Flip?"

Kakashi leaned forward with a serious glint in his eye. "Of the twenty seven graduates only nine will become genin. This is a super difficult exam with a failure rate of 66%."

Shikamaru just stared at him with a shocked look as Sasuke frowned seriously over his folded hands. Noriko just looked at him blankly. She already knew that there would be a second exam but she didn't know what it would be so she was still a bit nervous.

Kakashi smirked, "Haha, I told you you'd flip."

"Then what was the point of graduating?" asked Shikamaru, wanting to know why he had to do this.

"Oh? That was just to weed out the hopeless cases. The 27 that graduated are just those that have the potential to become genin." Shikamaru nodded in understanding and Sasuke just frowned even more.

"Anyway," Kakashi continued, "You're performance will be graded at the training field. Bring all of your ninja tools and I suggest you not eat breakfast. You'll just throw it up." He then handed them all a printout with the details and left in a puff of white smoke.

As he looked over the details, which just consisted of the place and time for the test, Shikamaru had just one thing to say, "This is going to be troublesome…" Though they didn't say so the others couldn't help but agree.

* * *

* - I don't own Landslide as done by the Dixie Chicks. Just so you know…

* * *

~ Author's Note ~

Well, here's the next chapter. I finished it a bit sooner than I expected but that a good thing, right? Thank you to all of those who have reviewed, you know who you are, and I appreciated all of your comments, both good and bad.

As previously noted I now have a poll running on my profile about who you guys think should be paired with Noriko. So far Itachi is in the lead with 15 votes and Shikamaru is trailing behind him with 11. Haku and Gaara are tied in third with 10 votes and Sasuke is trailing in fourth with 8. Neji is in last place with a measly 4 votes though so if you really want him to be paired with her you better hurry up and vote!

Also, if you would like to, I would appreciate it if someone would draw a fanart of Noriko. I am no good at drawing anything that might be regognizable as a person so I'll leave it to you guys. (If you want to of course, I wouldn't dream of forcing you...)

And, clearly, don't forget to review!

~ Aljan Moonfire ~


	9. Chapter 8: The Bell Test

_**Aljan Moonfire does not own Naruto in any way, shape or form.**_

"Speaking."

'_Thinking._'

"**Demonic Speaking**."

'_**D******__e_monic Thinking.'

_Flashback and/or Dream_

"**Jutsu**" (English Translation)

**_

* * *

_**

**_Chapter 8:_**

_**The Bell Test**_

* * *

'_It would be great to be a cloud…_' thought Shikamaru, not for the first time, '_just drifting along wherever the breeze takes you…_' As he watched the sun set and streaks of darkness etch themselves across the sky Shikamaru filled his never still mind with the peacefulness of the sky.

This was why he loved cloud watching; the softly drifting and ever-changing clouds filled his mind with a peacefulness he found it difficult to find anywhere else, his thoughts drifting in and out of his consciousness like the clouds he so desired to resemble. When ever he was awake he just couldn't stop thinking; analyzing what surrounded him without pause.

For once he'd find it nice to be able to admire a pretty flower without counting every petal and thorn, taking note of every imperfection almost automatically and disturbing any appreciation for what beauty it might have had. The thing he disliked most about himself was that he did it with the people and situations around him as well.

It was part of what made him so good at games like shougi he guessed; it wasn't just that he could plan out his moves 200 places beyond where the game was now, it was also that he immediately sighted and focused in on any weakening or shift in a player's guard. The kind of strategy games he liked the most were just as much a battle of minds and personalities as they were that of wooden board pieces.

He supposed that once he had more experience it would help make him a good ninja, but more often than not he found little point in striving after things just out of reach when he was fine with watching the clouds blow by.

'_Striving for something… just out of reach, huh?_' he thought. '_That girl, when she said that, about becoming Hokage, she wasn't boasting. She was entirely serious. I wonder… What could possibly have pushed her resolve so far…_?'

He let out an exasperated gust of air and sat up, his head still tilted towards the sky. He supposed that if he stayed on the team and passed that troublesome test he'd have a chance to find out. How troublesome; it seemed he'd have to find someway to pass it. After all, Uzumaki Noriko's resolve wasn't the only interesting part of his new team.

Unanswered questions about his fellow genin and new sensei began to buzz furiously around his head, giving the familiar feeling of an impending headache. Blanking his mind of all thought again he continued to stare upwards as the stars began to come out and the sun finally sank behind the trees that skirted his village.

As the gray twilight of dusk finally set in he rose from his position on the grass and, tucking his hands into his pockets, slouched and strolled in the direction of his clan's compound. He supposed his mom would have something to say about him being late anyway so there was no reason to be in much of a hurry.

He sighed again at the last thought. "How troublesome…"

.-.

It was much later that same night when Uchiha Sasuke arrived at his house. After the three genin had split up (which was a few minutes after Kakashi had left) he had headed right to the training ground he had just about claimed as his over the years since the massacre.

Only a quarter of a mile away from the Uchiha compound, it was in easy walking distance and suited his needs to the letter. Containing a large lake to practice his fire techniques on, as well as a flat area perfect for taijutsu practice, it was still just different enough from the lakefront his father had taught him the **Gokakyu no Jutsu** (Great Fireball Technique) at that it failed to stir any precious, though distracting, memories.

Opening the door to his house he reflected on his day. Though he would never admit it out loud he had been terribly excited as he walked to school for the last time. After all, today was the day he became a genin. One step closer in his chase after his elder brother. As it always did though, both then and now as he reflects on it, the mere thought of his clan's executioner soured his mood. That damn Itachi…

Shaking his head as if to exorcise any memory of the man from his mind he didn't even need to turn around to lock the familiar door behind him. Then he toed of his ninja sandals, replacing them with soft house slippers and called out softly down the empty hall, "I'm home!"

As per usual he received no answer. Not that he was expecting one, of course, but…his jaw tightened with the conflicting emotions. As he turned into the kitchen he almost expected to see his now long dead mother turn from the stove to ask him how his day was. He frowned sadly at the cold and empty stove before turning to the fridge, opening it, and pulling out the kind of packaged bento you could find at any convenience store from a stack of many more.

Still frowning he stared at the wrapped box for a moment before tearing it open and sitting down to eat, not because he was especially hungry, but because even if he couldn't eat breakfast tomorrow morning he would still need all his strength. As he ate he turned back to his previous reflections.

Much to his disappointment, souring his mood even further, the day started out as if it were any other school day. The only difference, if you could call it that, was that his classmates seemed even more hyper than usual in their excitement at finally graduating. The only exceptions to this were the ever stoic Aburame in the corner and the Akimichi and Nara duo. Chouji was eating what seemed to be multiple bags of chips and Shikamaru was simply lazing in his seat, looking as if he wanted to fall asleep.

Annoying nuisances that they were, what fangirls he had that were actually able to pass the final exam seemed even more determined to 'win his affections' than usual. '_As if I were something that could be won like a prize,_' he thought for what felt like the millionth time with annoyance.

He had been relieved when Iruka-sensei had used the Demon Head Jutsu, sending his admirers flying back to their seats. The speech had been a good one, he supposed, but he hadn't really been paying much attention, waiting for the teams to be announced. He had really hoped that none of his fangirls would be placed on the same team as him.

He had also been relieved to find out that Shikamaru would be the other male on his team; he would have hated to deal with someone as exuberant as Kiba on a daily basis. He paused in his eating and frowned at himself as he thought of the sole female of his team, as well as his reaction to her.

She was beautiful, he could readily admit that to himself without compromising his pride, and she was clearly a serious kunoichi if the way she had scolded the pink banshee and the rest of the cheerleading squad was any indication. Her actions though, and what he had learned of her personality confused him.

When Iruka had first introduced her it had almost seemed as if she was flirting with the man. When Sakura had yelled at her though she had then suddenly turned into a highly skilled kunoichi, one clearly insulted by what the pinkette and her cohorts were insinuating. Then she had just as suddenly reverted to her flirty and smiling ways, strolling up the steps to sit near him, and giving him a wink in greeting.*

She also seemed to have an underlying sadness and emptiness that was all the more confusing for resembling his own. She had disappeared when the break had started and after she returned she had almost immediately joined the lazy Shikamaru in sleep, before he was even able to figure out what he might want to say to her.

He was slightly ashamed of himself for staring at her as she slept, it making him feel a bit like a stalker, but couldn't deny that he had. Getting a closer look at her, her seemingly elaborate costume was simply a layered yukata made of a strong material he couldn't identify. The hair pins seemed to be disguised senbon, and he couldn't help but be curious about her mask. He wondered why she wore it and if it had anything to do with what she mentioned when she introduced herself.

Now that he thought more on it her intro was almost as cryptic as his own. Sure, she had given out a few details that seemed to be true, but 'the majority of the civilian population of this village'… he wondered what she meant by that. She hadn't seemed completely serious when she said it, she had treated the declaration as she was simply stating a food she disliked, but that almost made it even more intriguing.

But, almost in contrast, when she had seriously declared that she would become Hokage he was surprised, more than he felt he should have been. He had remembered her killing intent from earlier and shuddered as well; he hadn't felt anything even remotely close to that since _that _night.

Now that he thought on it he wondered why she'd gotten so upset over a book anyway, but it doesn't really matter. If that intent was any indication of her true skill level she must be quite strong; even Kakashi-sensei had backed down. It made him wonder if maybe, just maybe, she may actually do it. Become Hokage, that is.

Shaking his head to rid it of his thoughts on the girl he got up and made his way to the sink to rinse out the bento box before stacking it with a pile of others on the counter. Turning his attention to the last part of what his new sensei had said he frowned and tightened his jaw, this time with determination.

He wouldn't become a failure, one that couldn't even pass his sensei's first test. He _would_ become a genin. He was an Avenger, and he must get stronger. If he had to pass this stupid test to do it he would. His resolve would not bend, would not break; and he would have his revenge.

And maybe along the way he could learn more about the mysterious girl who was to be his teammate as well…

.-.

As she stared out across her moonlit forest from the greenhouse in the top of her tower, Noriko frowned in thought. "A 66% failure rate, huh?" she muttered to herself and then shifted her weight on the cushion she had sat on, taking a small sip of tea as she did so.

'_**Yes, I wonder what it is myself**_,' was the reply she got from her tenant.

'_Arisa ka-san_,' the girl blinked in surprise at getting a response at all. Arisa rarely spoke to her during the day, preferring to give observations when they spoke face to face at night in the mindscape. This was the second time today as well.

The kitsune ignored the surprise she felt from her kit and continued, '_**I wonder what the trick to the test is...**_' She said.

'_What do you mean by that, Arisa ka-san?_' Noriko asked

'_**Well, if so many people face this test and fail there must be some sort of trick to it. Tomorrow, be sure to listen to and watch your sensei carefully; despite his uncaring attitude, your sensei will at least give you guys a chance to beat whatever test he gives you.**_' The kitsune finished.

Noriko nodded in agreement with her mentor's wisdom, but remained silent. Taking note of her kit's agreement Arisa retreated back to the mindscape, intending to follow her kit's example in having a cup of tea.

Smiling a bit at her adoptive mother's intentions the girl then turned her thoughts back to her team. Sasuke seemed to be a bit of a prick, but she'd worked with pricks before. She admittedly hadn't been on a team with any of the Uchiha as the clan had been practically eradicated almost two years before she'd graduated, but a few of the Hyuuga she'd had to tolerate had been much worse than the dark-haired boy seemed to be.

Shikamaru was interesting though, and apparently shared her preference for sleeping. The only problem she might have with the boy was his sheer lack of ambition. Kakashi though… He was clearly at least a slight pervert and had no shame to speak of if his intention to read that book in front of her was any indication.

She also knew he was extremely skilled though, and he could clearly teach them all a lot if he put his mind to it. She'd have to make sure the entire team impressed him enough to go straight to training tomorrow. She refused to believe that she wouldn't pass this test and she'd make sure her teammates passed as well.

That's what nakama were for after all; and now that they would fight along side her that's exactly what they were.

.-.

Just as the sun rose over the trees three genin arrived at training ground 7. After an hour of waiting the genin that were still awake began to inwardly curse the man who was to be their sensei. Shikamaru would have joined them but he had gone back to sleep after waiting for fifteen minutes.

It was soon after this that Sasuke's stomach began to make soft rumbling movements, indicating how hungry he was. Hearing the soft sounds of hunger Noriko turned from her contemplation of how she was going to brutally murder her sensei to stare at the boy in surprise.

"Didn't you eat something before you left, Sasuke-san?" she asked.

He frowned at her and curtly replied in the negative. "No."

"Oh." She looked at him carefully for a moment before pulling an apple from the sleeve of her yukata, which was a soft green today.** "You want an apple then?" she asked.

He stared at it for an endless moment before turning his head away and refusing. "No." Seeing her slightly disappointed face he quickly revised the blunt statement, "But thanks." He said in a low voice and then wondered why he'd said anything else at all.

She gave him a small smile and replied, "Don't worry about it. It's still there if you want it though."

They were still waiting another hour and a half later. Feeling his stomach grumble yet again Sasuke finally turned to Noriko and asked, "Is that offer on the apple still open?", with a stiff expression that said he wasn't used to asking for things.

Noriko stared at him for a moment in surprise before reaching back into her sleeve. "Yeah, sure." She pulled out four apples this time and threw half of them to her teammate before turning to chuck another at Shikamaru. As the fruit conked the sleeping boy on the head Sasuke caught his own apples and bit into one with a soft crunch.

Shikamaru slowly sat up, rubbing his forehead where the apple had bounced off it and reached over to pick up the now slightly bruised fruit. "What'd you throw that at me for?" he asked with a lazy half-hearted glare. He stared at the apple for a second and before Noriko could reply bit into it and leaned back on the training post he had been sleeping near.

Raising her visible eyebrow slightly at the brunette's actions Noriko replied, "Because if yesterday was any indication he should be here soon." Shikamaru glanced up at the sky to judge the time and decided that she was probably right. He wasn't going to thank her for throwing an apple at him though.

After the three had finished their apples and chucked away the cores they waited for a few more minutes before Kakashi appeared and made his way towards them. "Hey guys! Good morning!" he said a bit too cheerfully and gave a nonchalant wave.

"You're late!" was the simultaneous and growled response of Noriko and Sasuke. Shikamaru just yawned again.

Kakashi ignored them both and moved over to the three training posts lined up nearby. As the three genin watched with slight confusion he set up what looked like a very loud alarm clock on the one in the middle and then turned to speak.

"Okay," he said, "It's set to noon." He then held up two bells in plain sight in front of him. "Here are two bells," he continued seriously, "Your task is to take these from me before noon. Those who cannot get a bell by noon…get no lunch. Then I'll not only tie you to one of these stumps, I'll eat right in front of you."

All three of them gave an internal sigh of relief at this. Shikamaru's mother had forced him to eat something before he'd been able to leave and Noriko had completely forgotten about his suggestion and made herself a large breakfast before she left. Sasuke, on the other hand, was very grateful Noriko had decided to bring some apples along.

Kakashi was a bit surprised that none of them looked very worried about that stipulation. '_Well, the next one will get some sort of reaction out of them either way,_' he thought before continuing to list the rules of the test. "You only need to get one bell but, as you can see, there are only two so one of you will definitely be tied to a post. And… the person who doesn't get a bell, fails. So, at least one of you will be sent back to the Academy."

They all gave a nervous frown at that.

"You can even use your kunai and shuriken, but you won't succeed unless you come at me with the intent to kill." He said seriously.

At that their frowns became more serious and they quickly moved into ready positions. "Well, it seems like you're ready." He gave a soft laugh. They couldn't see his face but they could almost hear the smirk in his voice when he said, "I think I'm beginning to like you guys."

They just kept their eyes on him as he said, "Ok, let's get going. Ready? Start!"

All four of them disappeared in a swift blur of movement.

.-.

Kakashi reappeared closer to the river that wound through the 7th training ground. "The ultimate basic of a ninja is to be able to hide yourself well…" he said softly and scratched the back of his head as he looked around.

'_Good, they've all hidden well_,' he thought and then concentrated. '_Their chakra signals are all still quite apparent though. Sasuke's in that tree and Shikamaru is in the shadows over there…_' he then blinked in surprise,_ 'Wait, where'd Noriko go?_'

Suddenly he felt his instincts screaming at him to duck and was quite grateful he had when Noriko's leg swung swiftly into sight, cutting harshly into the air where the back of his neck had just been.

Noriko herself hadn't expected her first attack to land at all and swiftly turned in mid-air, her other leg dropping down in a devastating axe kick charged with large amounts of earth chakra, the words, '**Daiichi Ohyure: Gekiha!**' (First Quake: Crushing) echoing through her mind.

Kakashi's eye widened in surprise and the speed of the kick and as it seemed to make contact with him a large booming sound echoed through the clearing as a dust cloud sounded the two combatants. Noriko glanced down at the wooden log her weighted heels had crushed beyond recognition before glancing up the side of the large crater she had made in the direction of her sensei's chakra signal.

.-.

Kakashi had reappeared a small distance away from the dust cloud, completely unharmed but slightly shaken at the destruction the small genin had wrought. '_She's like a mini Tsunade! If that kick had been any faster…_' His eye then widened again as he was broken out of his thoughts by Noriko flying out of the settling dust with a fist drawn back for what was sure to be a devastating punch.

She was too fast, and he too close, for him to use anything but the kawarimi to dodge. She stared in slight shock as her chakra enhanced fist connected with yet another log, sending it flying out over the river. Her eye then widened as she heard her sensei's voice from be hind her.

"You shouldn't let your opponent get behind you, you know." He said and brought his hand down to chop across the back of her neck, intending to knock her out so he could deal with her after he'd finished testing the other two.

Noriko though, similarly to what her sensei had done less than a minute ago, dropped into a crouch to dodge the attack from behind. She then immediately attacked again with a low spinning kick aimed at Kakashi's knees. Kakashi, immediately seeing her intention, jumped into a swift back handspring to dodge. As he landed on his feet and stood to face her she did the same.

"You…" he said contemplatively, "You're much more skilled than any genin should be." He frowned at her, wondering who had taught her that taijutsu style, as it wasn't one he had ever seen used around Konoha before. It seemed to use quite a few different movements he could recognize straight off the bat, and quite a few he couldn't.

His new student's movements were also very hard to predict and it was probably only exacerbated by what he knew was a quicksilver personality. She also seemed to use a strength enhancing technique much like Tsunade-sama's. His contemplation of her skill level was interrupted by her reply.

"Am I really?" she asked with a small, almost unnoticeable, smirk. "That's quite a compliment coming from a jounin of your caliber."

She then abandoned any chatter and swiftly moved forward to attack again, pulling a kunai from her sleeve as she did so. This time Kakashi met her half way, and they clashed with the sharp sound of metal hitting metal.

.-.

The two other genin, who had almost been forgotten by the two combating members of the team, could only stare with a mixture shock and awe at the battle taking place before them. They found it very hard to believe their eyes; this girl, who couldn't be any older than themselves, was going toe to toe with their new sensei, a jounin!

What shocked them the most though was that even though it was apparent that the elder ninja was holding back, Noriko seemed to not be going all out either! Though they didn't know it they both had almost the same thought racing through their minds, _'Just who is Uzumaki Noriko? And how can she be this stron_g?'

.-.

As the two fighting ninja clashed once more Noriko fed more chakra to her arm and pushed it all out with a single movement that crashed her kunai against her new sensei's. Both weapons immediately shattered under the sheer force of the blow and Noriko, being the only one to have any warning, quickly secured herself against the ground with her chakra as Kakashi was sent flying to the crater she had created with that first mighty attack.

He managed to land roughly in the center of the crater, somehow contriving to stay on upright as well, but still in slight shock from the sheer force of the blow. Bracing a hand against the ground to push himself up to his feet again he was surprised when he suddenly heard two puffs of smoke and was then immediately secured against any further movement by two delicately strong pairs of hands. "You really shouldn't let your opponent get behind you, you know." The two female voices echoed from behind him.

'_A solid bunshin_?' he thought incredulously, shocked at hearing his own words said back to him, before his attention was diverted by someone landing softly in front of him. She leaned down to delicately remove a single bell from his waist and then she immediately moved back to the edge of the crater.

"When did you..?" he asked with slight surprise, indicating the clones with a nod of his head.

"In the dust cloud after that first attack," was the reply, she then decided to explain a bit more. "I had them henge into a couple of pebbles. Then, when I saw the chance, I pushed you back in here, where they immediately immobilized you, as ordered."

He gave a nod of understanding at the explanation. "I see," he replied but kept on his eye on her.

"It was a good spar, Kakashi-sensei," she then said abruptly. "Next time, we shouldn't hold back so much." She then disappeared in a swirl of leaves and the bunshin dispersed soon after.

'_Hold back?_' he thought as he stood up again and moved from the crater. '_And next time?_' He had of course been holding back quite a bit, he would never go all out on a genin team, but to think that she had been too… Although, now that he thought on it, all he had gleaned about her during the short fight was that she knew the Shadow Clone jutsu, had some sort of strength enhancing technique, and part of her taijutsu style.

_'She's damn good._' He had to admit. He couldn't help but wonder how skilled she was when going all out though… Perhaps he needed to train more.

.-.

Sasuke watched the end of the fight with wide eyes. After Noriko disappeared he frowned and, hardening his resolve, drew a few shuriken from his pouch and waited for an opening. He watched carefully as the jounin jumped from the crater and turned away from where he was hiding in the trees, clearly deep in thought.

'_Now!_' he thought with a slight thrill as he threw the shuriken expertly. They quickly spun out of the branches of the tree he was hiding in to slam into his sensei with a gushing of blood. He paused for a moment then, slightly shocked that the shuriken had actually managed to land a direct hit on the jounin.

He then cursed to himself as the bloody man suddenly morphed into a log. '_Damn! That just gave away my position!_' he thought and then quickly began to move to a different point to ambush the jounin-sensei at.

'_So, he's there_,' was the only thought of the cycloptic jounin that quickly moved to follow him.

.-.

Shikamaru had carefully watched all of these events unfold with a calculating glint in his eye. Though Noriko was obviously even more skilled than he'd thought she'd be, and Sasuke was clearly about to get his ass kicked, he was more concerned with the test as a whole. There was something off about the whole thing, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what was bothering him.

"So," came a female voice from behind him, "do you think there's something very wrong with this test too?" Noriko asked.

Surprised at being so easily sneaked up on he stiffened in slight shock before relaxing at her words and standing and turning to face the girl behind him. "Yeah. I'm not sure what though…" he said ponderingly.

"I wasn't either," was the reply.

'_Wasn't?_' he thought with surprise before raising an eyebrow at his female teammate. The girl, catching the expression even in the dim lighting, quickly continued.

"I eventually decided to go along with the original instructions," she said, indicating the crater still readily apparent in the clearing with a slight tilt of her head. "But I first knew there was something off with it all when he said that one of us would fail, regardless of what we did. After all, what would be the point of splitting us into three man teams if they were just going to split us up again immediately after?"

Shikamaru nodded in agreement, beginning to follow her train of thought himself. He almost continued for her, "So, there must be something else to the test, something not readily available in the initial explanation."

"Yes, that's why I immediately attacked Kakashi-sensei, just in case it was something we could take at face value." She then paused for a second as she remembered the fight before continuing, "But even after I secured the bell, Sensei didn't say anything to indicate that I had passed; he just asked about the tactics I had utilized. Obviously, there was something I was missing."

"Something you were missing?" he repeated and then his eyes widened in realization as he turned to the kunoichi. "You don't mean..?"

"Well, from what I can remember, they always did place a lot of emphasis on teamwork at the academy, and it's the only thing I can think of." She replied, amused by the boy's reaction.

"Okay," he said with a nod, "we'll do it together then. But how are we going to convince Sasuke to go along with it?"

"I have an idea about that," she said as she glanced towards the sounds of the skirmish between Kakashi and Sasuke.

.-.

Sasuke fumed quietly to himself as he was left neck-deep in the earth by Kakashi. As he attempted to wriggle his way out of his predicament he frowned in frustration. What the hell had he done wrong? Things had seemed to go pretty well at first; the traps had worked as intended and he had even managed to brush one of the bells with his finger!

That was when everything had gone to hell, now that he thought more on it. Kakashi had quickly thrown him away as soon as he heard the bells at his waist jingle. Then, frustrated, he had blown a **Gokakyu no Jutsu **at the jounin. When the smoke had cleared Kakashi had disappeared.

Knowing better than to assume that the man had been burned to ashes he had looked around to try and find where he'd gone to when he'd suddenly heard the former Anbu's voice echo from all around him "It's below."

Before he'd been able to form a coherent thought in response Kakashi had pulled him beneath the earth with a soft shout of, "**Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu**!" (Double Suicide Decapitation Technique) He'd been left with only his head above the ground, unable to do anything but scowl at the jounin's back as he'd walked away, muttering something about 'Icha Icha'; whatever that was.

It was humiliating! And just after that Noriko had been able to fight just about on par with their sensei as well! He paused in his so far fruitless struggles as he considered that. If Noriko was able to do that…does that mean that she's just as far out of his reach as Kakashi was? And if that were really the case, just how far out of his league was Itachi still? Dammit!

He was brought out of his thoughts by two pairs of feet landing on the ground in front of him almost simultaneously. Looking up as far as he could in this state he could only make out two shadowed figures, even though he knew who they probably were.

Then he almost winced at the sound of the female's voice, especially considering his recent thoughts. "It looks like you might need some assistance, Sasuke–san."

* * *

* - His own reaction to the wink still annoyed him though.

** - Hammerspace is a wonderful thing, even if it's only a drastically modified storage seal inscribed on your forearm.

* * *

_**Today's Jutsu**_:

**Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu**

_Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique_

In this technique chakra is kneaded inside of the body and then converted into fire and expelled from the mouth in a massive orb of roaring flame. The scope of the attack can be altered by controlling the volume of chakra that is mustered to use it. The released flames should engulf their target, and leave a crater on the ground's surface. The fireball is normally blown through a ring made by the thumb and index finger of the user.

The **Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu** was, supposedly, originally created by the Uchiha Clan, soon becoming one of their favorite moves, one with which they had become very adept. The Uchiha Clan also used the **Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu** as a sort of 'coming of age' technique. The technique apparently requires more than average chakra reserves and any regular genin should be unable to use this technique.

**Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu**

_Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique_

This is a ninjutsu where the user conceals themselves underground and then drags the target of their attack down into the earth, robbing them of their freedom. In addition, they can use this to start another attack. This technique was originally used for capture, then torture and interrogation, by first securing the prisoner and then, ever so slowly, cutting into their neck.

**Daiichi Ohyure: Gekiha **

_First Quake: Crushing _

Made by Noriko as her first real Earth-natured technique, it is currently unique to her and utilizes no hand seals, simply pure earth chakra manipulation. Created to compensate for Noriko's lesser strength when compared to the adults and older children around her, it is one of the only purely supplementary jutsu she frequently uses in direct combat.

By infusing her limbs with potent earth chakra and releasing it on contact with her target she gains immense physical strength. Inspired by the super-strength technique of Tsunade of the Sannin, Arisa (the, now former, Kyuubi) believes that it actually has the potential to go beyond even that to, with enough control, induce minor earthquakes with a mere touch.

The strength of the technique seems depends on a multitude of factors, including, but not limited to, chakra control and true physical strength. Though this technique apparently has the potential to kill with the flick of a finger Noriko rarely uses it in such a way and only uses it to charge her muscles with enough force to match that of a minor Kage.

A High B to Mid S-ranked technique, depending on usage. In this chapter, as you can clearly see, we only got to see the tip of the ice berg.

* * *

~ Author's Note ~

I wanted to get this out a bit sooner than I actually ended up doing, but I hope it's worth the wait. Feedback is, of course, always welcome.

I wasn't entirely sure about the ending as I seem to have some trouble accurately portraying Sasuke. He has always struck me as the kind of guy that broods a lot unnecessarily; thus the long internal monologues. In fact, in that one near the beginning, he just wouldn't shut up! And since he refused to let me condense it anymore than it already is this chapter is a few hundred words longer than usual.

Leaving that mini-rant behind though, I finally completed my first battle scene! It's kind of short, but I hope it lives up to whatever expectations you had of me. Aside from that though, what do you guys think of my first original jutsu? I must say that I'm quite proud of it, but I want to hear your thoughts on it as well!

This is getting kind of long though so is there anything else I wanted to say? Ah! Yes; The poll!

Itachi is still leading, this time with 16 votes, with Shikamaru following in second with 11 votes. Haku and Gaara are tied for third with 10; but if you want Sasuke or Neji to win you better start voting!

Ummm… Nothing else I can think of to say here so… don't forget to Review!

~ Aljan Moonfire ~


	10. Chapter 9: A Conclusion, Training, and a

_**Aljan Moonfire does not own Naruto in any way, shape or form.**_

"Speaking."

'_Thinking._'

"**Demonic Speaking**."

'_**D******__e_monic Thinking.'

_Flashback and/or Dream_

"**Jutsu**" (English Translation)

.-. - scene break

* * *

_**Chapter 9 – A Conclusion, Training, and a C-rank**_

* * *

Leaving the scowling Uchiha buried behind him, Kakashi left the clearing and quickly made his way back to their original starting point. Once he got there he leaned up against one of the training posts and concentrated.

While he had never been, and probably would never be, a sensor type shinobi, he was proficient enough with chakra sensing that, if given enough time to concentrate, he would be able to find anyone in a few miles radius as long as they weren't stealth experts. In fact, he couldn't help but wonder about Noriko's stealth skills as she was able to sneak up on him when he was actively looking for her, but that was something he could worry about later.

Focusing, he spread out his senses and quickly located the chakra signals of his entire team in the clearing he'd just left Sasuke in. Surprised, he focused further just to be sure. Yeah, that was them. Had they figured it out? But then Sasuke's chakra signature, one that burned furiously with determination, sped out of the clearing, quickly leaving the other two behind.

He sighed with a bit of disappointment at this and kept his senses open as the other two split up as well. He sighed again at this and stood up straight as Sasuke once again settled into a tree nearby. He'd wait for the boy to attack again, then he'd deal with him again and move onto the laziest member of his team. In the meantime though…

He reached into his hip pouch and pulled out a small book with an orange cover. It's not like Noriko was around anywhere nearby after all.

Oh, the irony.

.-.

Noriko was hidden on the other side of the clearing with her chakra masked so well her sensei was completely unable to sense her. As the man pulled out the familiar orange book her eyes narrowed in anger and she suppressed her killing intent. Then she suddenly smiled, and had anyone, especially Kakashi, seen it they would have felt like running away screaming. '_Well, he can't say I didn't warn him…_' she thought and resisted the urge to cackle insanely.

She then settled in to watch the show.

.-.

Shikamaru on the other hand was feeling a bit tense. He quietly wiped his sweaty palms over his pant legs and shifted his weight slightly; leaning against the tree he had settled behind. Noriko's confidence in his planning abilities was reassuring but there were so many things that could go wrong…

Then Sasuke attacked.

.-.

Sasuke braced a hand against the branch of the tree he had paused in to lean closer and get a better look at his sensei's position. He then felt like face faulting. The masked man was giggling like a young school-girl as he read the orange book he vaguely remembered from the day before. He felt an eyebrow twitch in irritation.

Well, if the jounin felt safe letting his guard down in such a way he might as well take advantage of it. This time though, he'd go all out from the start. He began a familiar sequence of hand seals as he jumped out into the clearing and shouted, "**Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!**" (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)

The fireball, though smaller than the last one, was still large enough to pose a threat and as the missile raced towards him Kakashi looked up from his book, visible eye wide in surprise. The small explosion that took place as the fiery orb connected echoed trough the clearing.

As the smoke began to disperse Sasuke was less surprised than he was the first time around to see nothing there. Remembering how the jounin had attacked before he jumped into the air to avoid any attack from below. This, however, left him wide open for an attack from any other direction

"It's above this time, Sasuke-kun." The slightly smirking male voice came from above him, just as it had said, but before the boy could react a harsh foot slammed into his collar bone, sending the boy crashing into the earth below. As the Jounin landed next to him the Uchiha staggered to his feet, mostly unharmed but definitely bruised. He'd be feeling that for awhile.

Noticing Kakashi, and almost immediately this time, he managed to get his arms up just in time to protect his chin from a powerful punch that would have undoubtedly sent him for a loop if it had connected. As it was he was still sent flying back a good few feet. Managing to regain his footing before Kakashi could attack again; he braced himself and rushed forward to engage the elder man in a furious bout of taijutsu.

Ever so slowly, he allowed the jounin to push him back towards the edge of the clearing where Shikamaru lay in wait.

.-.

On the other side of the clearing Noriko braced herself for her part. As she did so she momentarily thought back to her conversation with her teammates.

**Flashback **

_"It looks like you might need some assistance, Sasuke-san." said Noriko as she leaned down to look at him._

_"Hn," was his slightly rude response. "You think?" he asked sarcastically as he half-glared up at his blonde teammate._

_Ignoring the brunette's attitude with an ease that spoke of long practice, she leaned a bit closer and said, "If we dig you out will you promise to listen to what we," she gestured behind herself at their last teammate before continuing, "have to talk to you about?"_

_He stared at her suspiciously for a moment before saying, rather ungratefully, "Fine." _

_.-._

_"So, basically, you guys think we have to work together in order to pass this stupid thing, right?" asked Sasuke._

_It hadn't taken them long to unearth their teammate. After they had done so they had immediately sat him down and, before he could change his mind about actually listening them, told him their suspicions about the true purpose of this test._

_"Well," he said considering all of the information they had presented him with carefully, "I don't see why not." When they stared at him in surprise at his almost immediate compliance he said with irritation, "I'm not a complete idiot you know, and what you said makes sense. If this backfires though…" he trailed off, seemingly unable to think of something he could do to them that was horrific enough to count as a suitable punishment, yet also wasn't life threatening. Getting thrown in prison at this stage of his shinobi career would look pretty bad on his record._

"_Okay," said Noriko calmly, ignoring the Uchiha's irritation, "then, Shikamaru-san, you have plan, right." What should have been a question came out sounding more like a strange cross between command and assumption. _

_He stared at her lazily for a moment before replying, "I suppose, but you better listen the first time. Repeating myself is so troublesome." He then moved closer so he could draw out the plan to his teammates. "From what I've seen of Kakashi-sensei's abilities, any plan with too many variables would almost immediately fail. So, we're gonna keep it simple." _

"_Sasuke, you'll distract him by facing him head on. Let him push you back towards the tree line. Once he's near enough to the shadows I'll trap him with my __**Kagemane no Jutsu**__ (Shadow Imitation Technique). After he's immobilized, you take the bells, Noriko. Got it?"_

_The other two nodded in agreement. "Got it."_

**End Flashback **

Certainly simple enough, but that also made it easy to remember. The best part is that when she goes to get the bell she'd probably be able to grab something 'extra' too. '_This is going to be fun_,' she thought with an ominous internal chuckle.

.-.

Just as Sasuke braced himself to receive yet another attack that he was still to slow to dodge, Kakashi suddenly froze in place for no visible reason at all. Just to check that it was what he thought it was he glanced down at the ground, and just in time to hear a soft call of "**Kagemane no Jutsu **(Shadow Imitation Technique), success."

As Shikamaru said this what could be mistaken for a swift breeze raced by Kakashi to stand next to Sasuke. As it solidified into as slightly smug Noriko holding up two softly chiming bells, Shikamaru released his technique and slouched forward to stand next his teammates.

"So," said Noriko, "Did we pass sensei?"

Kakashi gave her a slightly exasperated look before answering, "Not until you can tell me what you're going to do with those bells."

She pretended to think about it for a few seconds, slightly worrying her teammates, before answering, "I'll give them to my teammates, of course," she then did so.

"As for myself," she continued, "I figure that even if that isn't the right answer I can _convince_ you to let us all pass." As she said this last she reached up into her sleeve to pull out a very familiar book.

"That's cheating." Kakashi deadpanned as he looked at the girl warily, fearing slightly for the well being of his book.

"I'm a ninja," she said, "deal with it."

He gave a huff that seemed to convey an awkward combination of exasperation, amusement, and pride. "Well, it seems you've passed then. There're just a few more things for me to tell you three before we go our separate ways for the day. I choose this training ground for a reason. That reason is right here." He gestured to a stone block engraved with what looked like names. Strangely, it had gone just about unnoticed by the three genin until now.

"The numerous names carved on this stone; these are ninja who are recognized as heroes of this village. But, they aren't just normal heroes. They are heroes who died in the line of duty. My best friend's name is carved here." After he said this he paused for a moment, as if to reminisce. The three children stared at him with wide eyes and conflicting emotions as they continued to listen.

He then turned back towards them. "You guys are the first. Everyone else would just do as I told them, unable to think for themselves… 'A ninja must be able to see underneath the underneath'," he quoted. "In this world those who break the rules and codes are viewed as trash. But you know what?" he asked wistfully, "Those who don't take care of their comrades are lower then trash."

The genin continued to stare at him, taken aback by their new sensei's sudden depth. He had just earned a lot of respect from them. He then clapped his hands together in a cheerful manner, breaking the solemn mood entirely. "This ends the training! All three of you pass. Tomorrow Team 7 will begin it's duties."

The three relaxed and gave sighs of relief, all of them internally celebrating; Shikamaru was simply too lazy to put much effort into it, Noriko still thinking on her sensei's earlier words. Sasuke was simply too stoic, not to mention that it would completely ruin his image. Soon the two brunettes of the team wandered off to train or watch clouds, respectively. Once the two were out of sight Kakashi turned back to Noriko. "Now, can I have my book back?" he asked.

At this question Noriko gave him what could only be termed as an evil grin, "I warned you about reading this in front of me," she said ominously. "This time I'll let you off lightly. Only your porn will be torched." Before he could even react the orange book in her hand suddenly went up in flames. As he stared in a shocked sort of horror at the ashes that drifted to the ground, Noriko swiftly disappeared in a shunshin.

After spending a good twenty minutes mourning the fallen book Kakashi reached into another pocket of his vest to pull out another book, an almost identical copy of the one that had just been burned. _'I'm so glad I bought another copy after yesterday,_' he thought, '_but still, that's one scary girl._'

.-.

**Meanwhile, In the Hokage's Office…**

The Hokage looked around the office that was once more packed with chattering jounin-sensei. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose against an incoming headache. He then cleared his throat to get their attention. "Alright, let's hear your results," he gestured to one of them to begin.

"Team 1; fail," was all the nondescript jounin said.

"Team 2; failed. I thought we'd gotten rid of all the fangirls!" said another, this one female.

"Team 3; they sucked. How they even passed their final exam I'll never know."

"Team 4; Hospitalized," said the next jounin as she played with a kunai.

"Hospitalized?" asked the Third.

"Well," said Anko, "it's not my fault they couldn't last ten minutes in my favorite training ground. They also failed my test though." She added at the end.

He just sighed in exasperation before turning his attention to the next jounin.

"Team 5. They failed too." He said.

"Team 6. I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count."

They waited for a moment for the next jounin to give his report before they realized that he wasn't there. "He'll probably show up before the meeting ends," Sarutobi exasperatedly, "I'll have him give his results then."

"Team 8," said Yuuhi Kurenai proudly, "passes."

"So did Team 10," said Sarutobi Asuma with a lazy puff of smoke.

"Really?" asked the Sandaime, "What do you think of them then?"

"Well," said Kurenai a bit reluctantly, "I must admit that Sakura is almost completely useless right now, but she does have potential and her chakra control is excellent. And, though she complains a lot, she was able to work well enough together with Shino and Kiba to pass my test."

"Hinata seems to have a few confidence issues," started Asuma, "and Ino is too bossy for her own good, but their both fairly competent for rookie kunoichi. Chouji didn't really do much but eat and follow instructions though. Still, they're not any less dysfunctional then my genin team was, and they manage to work together well enough."

Just as he finished giving his observations Kakashi appeared with a small poof of smoke. "You're late Kakashi," said the Third with a sort of resignation at the routine reaction. Before the jounin could reply he continued. "Now, your results?"

"They passed." He answered cheerfully.

"Really?" the Hokage asked, surprised.

"Yeah, that girl was a rather unpleasant surprise though." He said.

"Why don't you elaborate a bit then," suggested the Sandaime.

"Well…" he blinked a bit in consideration before answering, "If you want them to know what happened why don't you just show them; I know you were watching." He said.

Sarutobi shrugged at the suggestion and then pulled out his crystal ball. "Watch closely then," he said.

The events that had passed at training ground 7 not even an hour ago were then watched by the increasingly more impressed jounin. A few of them even sighed jealously as the test came to an end. "You got lucky, Kakashi," said one enviously.

"Yeah," said another, "and that blonde girl's going to be seriously hot when she grows up." He added.

They talked about it amongst themselves for awhile longer before the Hokage grew tired of their chattering and dismissed everyone but Kakashi.

"Now," he told the masked man once they were alone, "I know you'd normally want them to perfect their teamwork before you really began to train them, but those two boys _have_ to be ready for their first chuunin exam six months from now." He said.

"What?" asked Kakashi, surprised.

Sarutobi elaborated a bit, thinking that, as Noriko's jounin sensei, he deserved to know. "Noriko has, honestly, been ready for the exams since before she graduated from the academy two years ago. However, because of who, and what, she is, I didn't want her to go to an exam we have no control over. This up coming exam is the first one we've been able to host since she graduated, and also the first we will be able to for a few years to come."

"I want those three ready for it," he ordered. "I hope you understand, Kakashi."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Replied the jounin, before he gave a slight bow and disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Said Hokage's eyebrow twitched as he glared at the scattered leaves left behind by the various jounin. '_Why is it so impossible for my ninja to use the door?_' he asked himself with annoyance.

.-.

The next month passed in a blur of stress and sweat for the two boys of Team 7. The day after the bell test Kakashi immediately started their training, as the Hokage had ordered. His first priority was increasing their stamina and chakra control levels to a high-genin/low-chuunin level. He started them out with one of the most basic of chakra control exercises; tree-walking.

Instead of just having them go at it until they were able to climb a tree at a dead run, he had them do so and then made them stick to it for indefinite periods of time, adjust to the grip needed for many other different surfaces, and just about anything else he could think of. He had them running laps and doing other basic conditioning exercises as well, all the time. Once they had mastered the exercise to his standards he had them begin to water walk.

It was also during this period of time that they came to learn just how far ahead of them Noriko really was. She could easily do everything their jounin-sensei asked of them without breaking a sweat, and then she would move onto even more advanced exercises of her own. One that they frequently saw her doing was the leaf exercise she had learned so long ago, except the number of leaves had reached over a hundred.*

Even this though, they could have tolerated without changing their behaviors too much. It was when Kakashi decided to have a proper spar with the girl in order to find out her true level of strength that really changed things for them. Kakashi, despite having left the Anbu corps more than four years ago, was still easily elite Jounin level. Noriko matched him blow for blow throughout the entire fight.

Kakashi eventually pulled out his trump card, the Sharingan, in an attempt to get the upper hand. Though with the addition of the sharingan eye his skill level jumped and he was better able to anticipate her moves; that was about all the advantage it gave him. What jutsu she used (and she only used the most basic ones in addition to her strength technique), she didn't need hand seals for, and, though he was able to doge her monstrous blows, all she really had to do was outlast him; he eventually couldn't go on any longer due to obscenely low chakra levels.

With the proof thrown right in their faces they couldn't deny it. Their teammate was stronger than an elite jounin level shinobi. This realization had an immense impact on the two.

Sasuke, who, ever since the Massacre, had trained almost obsessively to defeat his brother, had very mixed feelings about the whole thing. On one hand, here he had been doing everything in his power to raise his own combat levels, and yet along comes this girl, who he had never met, or even heard of before, that completely blows all of his accomplishments out of the water. It was very humbling to say the least, and he didn't really like it.

For awhile he was angry with the Uzumaki girl, even though it wasn't really her fault, but, with some convenient advice from Kakashi, he soon came to realize that brooding about it all the time wasn't going to really solve anything. The only thing that he could do that might be able to change the current status quo was to train as hard as he could to keep up with the girl. As he learned more about her and what she could do he began to view the only female of his team with a sort of jealous and grudging respect that was only complicated even further by his initial attraction to her that popped up at the most inconvenient of times, for him.

Shikamaru's reaction to Noriko's skill level and personality was different, but no less complicated than that of his fellow brunette. At first she had simply interested him; her intelligence, resolve, and strength only furthering his interest in her. The fight though, and the sudden increase in Sasuke's training that followed, was what really brought something essential that he had missed at first home to him.

The team that he was on was at a completely different level than that of his former classmates. Chouji had told him some of what was going on with his own team, and while Asuma-sensei had the chubby boy and his two female teammates train, it was nothing like the intensity and focus that characterized his own team's meetings and training sessions.

In addition to that his sensei was Sharingan no Kakashi, the Copy-nin; one who had copied over a thousand jutsu and used them regularly. His male teammate was the Rookie of the Year, the Last Uchiha. His other teammate was Noriko: a twelve year old kunoichi who could out fight elite jounin. And then there was him.

He knew he was intelligent; at the moment it was just about all he had going for him. Other than that though, he mostly saw himself as a normal guy, even if he was a bit lazy. What he knew now though was that if he ever wanted to be able to keep pace with the rest of his team he'd have to step up. If he wasn't skilled enough he knew that, whether they wanted to or not, he'd be the one left in the dust as his team forged on ahead without him.

It was then that he made _his_ resolve. He wouldn't be left behind.

All three genin, with their separate goals driving them, trained for that month in between the horrors that were D-rank missions.** Sasuke learned several new fire jutsu and upped his chakra levels and control, as well as his physical stamina. Shikamaru managed to learn, and almost master, a new clan technique, and up his physical condition, chakra control and chakra reserves to just about match those of his Uchiha teammate's. Noriko managed to create a few new ice element techniques for her tails, as well as a new fire one.

Kakashi on the other hand, after losing to Noriko he was struck by how much he had come to rely on his Sharingan eye. Over the years it had gotten him out of many situations he may not have otherwise survived, but he hadn't realized that he had begun to turn it into such a crutch. In reaction to his defeat he had begun to train himself as well as his genin, hoping to bring his skill level back up to where it had been before he hung up his Anbu mask.

With so much to focus their minds on the month flew by and before they knew it the four found themselves before the Hokage after having, once again, returned Tora to his overly affectionate owner.

.-.

Watching the daimyo's wife attempt to suffocate the mewling animal in her flabby arms, Noriko couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the poor cat. It didn't help that her team had nowhere near the same amount of trouble with the feline as the other genin teams. Noriko had been tasked with chasing the cat quite often over the past couple of years, and knew most of the cat's favorite haunts around the village.

With Shikamaru's Kagemane technique it was relatively easy for them to catch it as well. Still, she knew that her team was ready for a higher ranked mission and she also knew that her teammates (well, more Sasuke than Shikamaru) were getting impatient with the chores they'd been forced to do since they'd graduated. For that matter, so was she.

She returned her attention to the scene before her as the daimyo's wife paid for the mission and left the room. Once the woman had moved out the door her gaze shifted to the old Hokage as he began to list out a few of the free D-rank missions left. "Well, Team 7, you next duty is…hmmm…babysitting an Elder's grandson, shopping in the neighboring village, helping with the potato digging – " here was cut off by the irritated girl.

"Saru-jiji, if you send us to do more of those chores mistakenly labeled as missions, I might explode. I believe that my team and I are ready for a higher ranked mission." She said as politely as she could.

The rest of her team glanced at her in surprise at the outburst, but they all, even Kakashi, couldn't help but agree. The jounin had been thinking of applying for a low C-rank anyway, and voiced his support of Noriko's opinion when the Sandaime asked him if he agreed with the sentiment.

"Fine. Since Kakashi agrees I'll give you a C-rank mission." Said Sarutobi. The three genin perked up a bit at this in anticipation. "It consists of the protection of certain individual."

"Oh?" Noriko made an interested sound, "Who?"

The Third turned Iruka, who had been helping him had out missions, "Get him in here, will you?" The chuunin hurried to obey.

The door slid open and a slurred voice exclaimed, "What's this? They're all a bunch of super brats. Especially that one with the duck-ass hair. And the one with the pineapple hair looks like he's ready to fall asleep. Are they really ninja?" The old man who had said this clutched a bottle of sake in one hand and had a pack thrown over his shoulders.

At this the entire room couldn't help but glance at the Uchiha's hair and draw a comparison between a duck's ass and his hairdo. They hadn't noticed it before but that really was what it looked like. The quickly muffled chuckles did nothing to improve said brunette's temper. Knowing how stupid it was to attack the client, he resisted the urge to do so and simply glared at the man.

"I am the super expert bridge builder Tazuna. I expect you provide me with super protection until I get back to my country and complete my bridge." The old man continued.

Kakashi made a token attempted to appease the blunt bridge builder. "Don't worry about it. Even if my genin are incapable of protecting you from the sort of run of the mill bandits we are likely to run into, which I doubt, I'm a jounin and will be here as back up."

"Humph." Was his only reply.

.-.

The next morning Team 7 and Tazuna gathered in front of the main gates, packed and ready to go. The only anomaly was Noriko, who was missing a pack like the rest of them were wearing. "Noriko, where're your supplies?" asked Shikamaru in slight surprise.

"Up my sleeves," was her cryptic response. Seeing her teammates' concern she waved of their worries and said, "I'll be fine." By now used to her rather vague personality they accepted the answer and Kakashi turned to the old bridge builder.

"Let's get going then." He said. As they moved out the village he couldn't help but notice their client's nervousness. He had been sweating and drinking since before they even left the gates. He frowned in thought. No sane bandit would attack someone guarded by ninja, even if they were only a genin team. It's part of why protection details like this were such low C-ranked missions; there just wasn't all that much chance of conflict.

The old man must know that, so why was he so apprehensive? Something was off about this mission. Turning to glance at his genin he couldn't but notice that the sole female of the team was watching Tazuna as closely as he had been. He gave smirk that was invisible behind his mask. If Noriko had noticed it as well it seems that this was going to be a bit more exiting than your average C-rank.

How interesting.

* * *

* - This would be the leaf floating/moving exercise from Chapter 5.

** - The entire team had quickly come to the conclusion that children were evil. The rest of the so-called missions didn't make much better impressions.

* * *

_**Today's Jutsu…**_

**- Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu **(_Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique_)

In this technique chakra is kneaded inside of the body and then converted into fire and expelled from the mouth in a massive orb of roaring flame. The scope of the attack can be altered by controlling the volume of chakra that is mustered to use it. The released flames should engulf their target, and leave a crater on the ground's surface. The fireball is normally blown through a ring made by the thumb and index finger of the user.

The **Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu** was, supposedly, originally created by the Uchiha Clan, soon becoming one of their favorite moves, one with which they had become very adept. The Uchiha Clan also used the **Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu** as a sort of 'coming of age' technique. The technique apparently requires more than average chakra reserves and any regular genin should be unable to use this technique.

**- Kagemane no Jutsu **(_Shadow Imitation Technique_)

This technique allows the user to extend their shadow for as far as it has sufficient area to do so. Once it comes into contact with a target's shadow, the two merge and the target is forced to imitate the user's movements.

In this way the two can throw shuriken (or some other projectile) at each other at the same time if the user desires it. And, of course, to prevent hurting themselves, the user just has to have the shuriken holster in a place where you don't normally have it, like the back, so that the opponent draws nothing while the user draws a shuriken. If the target is out of range, the user can produce a better light source to increase their shadow's size or rely on preexisting shadows for their shadow to freely travel through. It's also possible to split one's shadow, either to trap more opponents at once, or to create a distraction.

The major downside of the jutsu is that it's very tiring to use repeatedly; the ability is subject to a form of diminishing return and decreases in potency after repeated use. For instance, Shikamaru can only maintain it for 5 minutes every time he uses it. If the user is low on chakra, the performance rate of the technique also deteriorates. Insufficient lighting will make the technique less effective as well. An opponent with particularly strong chakra and/or will can also resist the shadow's forced imitation.

* * *

~ Author's Note ~

I have to apologize, I hit a small writer's block with this chapter so not only is it a bit shorter than the more recent chapters, but it's also late. So, once again, I apologize. As you can tell, this chapter was mostly filler, but it was necessary and now we get to move onto the Wave Mission! I'm as excited as you are about that. And also, I'm contemplating whether or not Zabuza should die: Your opinions would be much appreciated here.

On another note I have decided to close the poll after I post this chapter. Thank you to all of you who voted, and the man who won will honestly be the most likely to be paired with Noriko in the future. Unless I suddenly have major inspiration for romance between one of our losers and Noriko, Itachi will eventually get the girl.

No complaints; though I'm admittedly glad people agreed with one of my favorites (Itachi is frickin' hot after all). I gave you all almost a month to make your opinions known so no complaining that I didn't choose one of our runners up. Although, if you have any suggestions for side pairings I'm always open to ideas.

Because it will take awhile for Itachi to even enter the story (I am mostly following cannon here) the most you'll get for any romance is light flirting and maybe the occasional fantasy until after the chuunin exams. Even then it probably won't be serious until after the time-skip.

Can't think of anything else to say, and I've probably rambled on too much anyway. 'Till next time then.

~ Aljan Moonfire ~


	11. Chapter 10: Complications

_**Aljan Moonfire does not own Naruto, in any way, shape, or form...**_

"Speaking."

'_Thinking._'

"**Demonic Speaking**."

'_**D******__e_monic Thinking.'

_Flashback and/or Dream_

"**Jutsu**" (English Translation)

.-. - scene break

* * *

**_Chapter 10 – Complications_**

* * *

It was later in the afternoon of that same day that the five members of the small group made their way down the road at a civilian pace. Tazuna lead the group, with Noriko meandering alongside him, unobtrusively keeping the nervous man in her sights.

Sasuke followed behind them, clearly brooding over something, as always, but keeping a wary eye on the tree line. Shikamaru paced to the left and a little behind his fellow brunette, seemingly spacing out as he stared up at the clouds. Kakashi brought up the rear, keeping an eye on his charges and the road behind him, quietly bored and missing his Icha Icha.

As Noriko made her way down the road, keeping half an eye on the lying old man that had hired her team as she did so; she thought on what reasons the man might have to do so. Lie, that is. Nami no Kuni, from what she knew, was a neutral island country that bordered Hi no Kuni and Mizu no Kuni.* Because of it's primarily neutral stance in political matters it was a excellent place for traders and merchants to base themselves. One of the most powerful shipping magnates in the world, Gatou, had even been based out of there for the past year or so.

She latched onto that last thought. Gatou, it was rumored, had his fingers in every money making pie that existed, whether it was legal or not. When he had based himself in Nami every other business there that had traded with the mainland slowly went bankrupt. These days almost no one left the isles and those that went there almost never came back, leaving it very hard to secure any sort of information on what happened there.

In fact, from what she knows at least, this seemingly simple escort mission was the first that had been commissioned by anyone from Nami in the past year and a half. The connection was obvious. Narrowing her eye at this last she shot another sharp glance at the bridge builder. Why did the old man seem so desperate? And did it have anything to do with her suspicions about the Gatou Corporation?

.-.

Shikamaru strolled lazily down the dirt road, for all appearances oblivious to his surroundings. He wasn't though. As he kept his eyes to the sky he expanded his other senses to survey his surroundings. Over the week before they had accepted this mission Kakashi had begun to teach the three the basics of chakra sensing. Though he listened and used his other senses to check his immediate environment, he spread his chakra senses even further, searching for any threats.

Even he was a bit surprised when he found one, but he slowly dragged one of his hands out from where it had been tucked in a pocket to make a few hand signs, subtly alerting his teammates and sensei to the danger. Kakashi then discreetly checked for himself and nodded before flicking his fingers in a few seemingly random movements that gave them their orders.

.-.

Tazuna was the only one surprised when the two mist shinobi erupted from their puddle genjutsu to wrap the sole jounin of his escort in a length of chain that stretched from each of the two men's gauntlets. He was also the only one to exclaim in horror as the man was seemingly ripped to shreds. "One down," came the unanimous growl from under their breathing masks.

He barely caught what happened next as the blonde girl appeared in front of him in a guard position, a kunai knife held horizontally in her small hand. The duck-ass boy jumped into the air to give one of the two attackers a sharp roundhouse kick to face, sending him flying into his partner. Before the two men could gain their bearings enough to strike at the genin again they suddenly froze in place, their shadows connected to the lazy looking boy. "**Kagemane no Jutsu**, success." He said in a lazy drawl.

As the boy seemed to hold them in place, the Jounin he had thought dead appeared behind the two and quickly brought them down with two swift chops to the neck. "Maa…" he said giving the genin a quick look over as he secured the two shinobi to a nearby tree with a long length of rope that he'd pulled out of seemingly nowhere. "Good job you three." He then turned to give Tazuna a small glare, "Tazuna-san, I think we need to talk."

Standing he turned back to the two tied up men and continued to speak, "They look like Kirigakure chuunin; shinobi that are known to keep fighting no matter what."

Said chuunin, awake now, glared at the jounin and one asked, "How did you read our movements?"

Kakashi gave the man a mild stare and proceeded to lie his ass off, even though it was potentially true, "On a sunny day like this, when it hasn't rained in days, there aren't going to be any puddles." He said slowly, as if it were obvious.

Tazuna then spoke up, "If you knew that, then why did you let the brats fight?" even as he asked the question he felt a bit guilty, especially as the three kids had handled themselves quite well. He still felt it was a valid concern though; they were only children after all.

Kakashi replied, a bit irritated at the continued underestimation of his genin, but still civilly, "If I had wanted to I could have killed these two instantly," as he said this the two captives tensed a little in apprehension. "But…there was something I needed to find out. Who these two were after."

A bit unnerved by the jounin's steady stare the old man shifted a bit and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Meaning," Kakashi answered, "Were they after one of us, or you? We haven't heard anything about there being shinobi after you. We were to simply protect you from thieves and bandits." His serious stare never changed as he rocked back on his heels.

"This is now at least a B-rank mission; it was supposed to be 'protection until you complete the bridge'. If it were known that ninja were after you this mission would have been originally set as the more expensive B-rank. I'm sure you had a reason, but it causes problems when you lie about the rank of a mission. We are now operating outside of our original duties. It might even be too much for a genin team..." he trailed off.

He then turned to his silent, at least until now, genin team and asked, "What do you three think?"

"Continue." Came the characteristically abrupt answer from Sasuke.

Shikamaru just sighed unenthusiastically and shrugged. "I don't really care one way or the other." He said.

Noriko gave him that calm stare that never failed to slightly unnerve him, even if he didn't show it. "We all know that we can do this, even you." She said. "I would simply suggest that we get more info from our dishonest client over there."

Taking the girl's suggestion he turned back to the old man and raised his visible eyebrow, urging the man to talk. Said bridge builder gulped and looked down guiltily. "You're right." He said. "This mission is most likely far outside your duties. It turns out that a super dangerous man is after my life."

"'Super dangerous man'?" the jounin repeated. "Who?"

"You've probably at least heard of his name before," he said with a sigh. Noriko's eye narrowed in suspicion.

"He's a wealthy shipping magnate." He said resignedly, "A man named Gatou."

"Gatou?" asked Kakashi incredulously, "From that Gatou company? He's said to be one of the world's few extremely wealthy people." He finished seriously.

"Yes. Officially he runs a large shipping company… but secretly he sells drugs and other illegal things, using missing-nin and gang members to take over businesses and countries." Tazuna continued, "He's a very nasty man. It was about a year ago when he set his sights on Nami no Kuni. Through money and violence he quickly took control of the country's shipping industry. Gatou now has a complete monopoly over all the business traffic in the country. The only thing he has to fear now is the completion of the bridge." He finished his explanation seriously.

"I see…" said Shikamaru, "Since you're building the bridge you're in the way…"

"And these ninja were sent by Gatou." Sasuke finished. Noriko kept her silence.

Kakashi was the next to speak, "What I don't understand is if you knew that ninja could be sent after you, why did you hide that fact when you hired us?" he asked.

"Nami no Kuni is super poor," he said dismally, "even the Daimyo has no money. And, of course, we don't have much money either; certainly not enough for an expensive B-rank mission."

Kakashi nodded in consideration and glanced at his genin again before finally agreeing. "As long as you pay afterwards, I suppose we can continue. I'll be sending a message back to Hokage-sama though." He concluded. Tazuna gave an audible sigh of relief.

.-.

"You failed?" the short man cried in incredulousness. "I paid you a lot of money because I'd heard how strong you were, as former Kiri-nin!"

The furious midget was suddenly silenced as the man he was yelling at shifted, his hand grasping at a long hilt, and as he brought his massive sword around in a single swift movement, the blade came to a sudden rest mere inches from Gato's neck.

"Stop your bitching," came a deep, growling voice. "This time I'll go myself, and with this 'Kubikiri Hocho'," the lounging man continued menacingly, "I'll kill them."

Gato shivered a bit at the killing intent apparent in the man's words, but persisted, "Are you sure?" he asked, "It seems that the enemy has also hired some skilled ninja." Ignoring the slight narrowing of the missing-nin's eyes, he continued, "And with the failure of the Demon Brothers they'll be on guard."

The other man glared at him and replied, "Who do you think I am? There's a reason I'm called Momochi Zabuza, Demon of the Hidden Mist."

.-.

It was a day after their confrontation with the Demon Brothers that Team 7 and their client arrived at the borders of Nami no Kuni. Stepping into the small boat that would carry them across the waters, the five, as well as the boat's driver, arranged themselves as comfortably as they could and quietly set off.

"What a thick mist," muttered Shikamaru as they slowly moved forward, "I can't see a thing."

"We should be able to see the bridge soon," replied the man pushing the wooden boat along. "You'll be able to see Nami no Kuni at it's base when we do."

All of the members of the team peered into the mist in the direction the man had gestured. They were able to make out a large blurry shape before the mist in their way suddenly cleared, leaving a massive unfinished bridge to snap into focus.

"Wow." Noriko said in slight awe. "It's huge."

As the mainland of Nami no Kuni also came into view the boat operator turned to the bridge builder and said, "We'll be there soon Tazuna. It looks like we've avoided detection so far but, just in case, we'll take the route that has more vegetation. It'll make it harder to spot us."

"Thanks." was said man's short but grateful response.

Ever so slowly, the boat made it's way through a tunnel in the breakwater to emerge onto a grove of mangrove trees and stilted houses. The mist that covered just about everything gave the environment a misty and mysterious effect, the silence only broken by the slow swish of the oar.

They made their way as swiftly and quietly as they could to one of the lower houses. There the boat driver came to a stop at a small dock and his passengers quickly disembarked. "This is it for me," he said nervously. "Goodbye and good luck."

"Yeah," Tazuna said with gratitude, "and super thanks."

As the boat quickly sped away Kakashi sighed in thought. He knew that the next time they would be attacked it will be by not a chuunin, but jounin, level shinobi. He knew that with Noriko around he probably didn't have too much to worry about, but it was his other genin's first serious mission.

Not that they were pushovers or anything, but in the face of a superior opponent going all out on them, it was all too likely that they might freeze at the wrong time. This mission is starting to become – dare he say it – very troublesome.

.-.

As the four ninja and their charge made their ways down the misty road they were abnormally quiet, even for them. All of them were on the alert for attacks, knowing that the next assault would be much harder to deal with then the last. Noriko, all of her senses open to her surroundings, sensed a shift of movement and chakra in a bush to her right. Slipping two shuriken between her fingers, she quickly snapped her hand to the right, surprising her teammates and sending the two projectiles slicing into the bushes.

"What the hell?" exclaimed the old man.

Ignoring the client's exclamation, the girl swiftly made her way over to the bushes and, on pushing them aside, found a prettified rabbit pinned between the two throwing stars. She deftly removed the shuriken and tucked them back up her sleeve.

She then grabbed the snow white rabbit by it's ears and held it up so that her fellow genin and jounin-sensei could see as well. Kakashi's eye immediately narrowed in suspicion as the two brunettes of the team stared on in silence. '_That's a snow rabbit,_' the jounin thought to himself. '_But it's spring. What's up with it's color? A snow rabbit's fur changes color depending on the amount of light available. White is it's color during the winter. This must be a rabbit kept for the express purpose of__** Kawarimi**__.' _(Body Replacement)

_'So,'_ he thought warily as he spread his senses over the surroundings, '_They're already here._'

.-.

Up in the trees, where he had landed after using the **Kawarimi no Jutsu**, Momochi Zabuza narrowed his eyes at the cycloptic member of the group below him. '_I see…'_ he thought. '_It's no wonder the Demon Brothers failed. They didn't stand a chance. That's Konohagakure's Copy Ninja; Sharingan no Kakashi.'_

The man furrowed his almost nonexistent eyebrows in thought before he twisted his mouth grimly and braced his hand against the hilt of the massive sword slung across his back.

.-.

Kakashi's eyes widened as he heard a strange whistling at the edges of his hearing. "Everyone! Get down!" he shouted, almost tackling their client to the ground. Sasuke and Shikamaru obeyed immediately, flattening themselves to the ground as Noriko clutched the small white rabbit to her chest and followed suit.

The massive sword that flew out of the tree line spun over their heads, just brushing Kakashi's spiky hair, and lodged itself in the heartwood of a towering tree on the opposite side of the road. As it did so, Kakashi slowly raised his head, just in time to see the man who had thrown it land on it lightly, his back turned to them, as he looked down on them all.

He was clearly tall, and wore no shirt. His short, spiky black hair was secured by a slashed Kirigakure hitai-ate that sat on his head at an angle, and his mouth was covered by a mask made of white bandages. The only clothing he wore was striped shinobi pants and arm and leg warmers covered in a camouflage pattern.

Kakashi stared up at the menacing figure with a serious look in his visible eye. '_This man is…_' he thought before speaking. "Well, if it isn't Kirigakure's missing-nin, Momochi Zabuza-kun." He voiced in a contradictorily relaxed way that belied his tension.

"You guys get back," he continued, directing his words to the genin. "I'll take care of it." He then dramatically raised his hand to lift his hitai-ate. "It might be a little tough unless I do this though." He finished seriously.

The missing-nin watched his opponent's actions out of the corner of his eye before he spoke, his deep voice echoing through the clearing, "You appear to be Sharingan no Kakashi. Sorry, but that old man's life is mine." He said menacingly.

Ignoring him Kakashi simply voiced his orders to his team as he finished pulling his forehead protector up to rest on his forehead. "You three protect Tazuna-san, and don't interfere in the fight."

Keeping his gaze on the other man he continued, "Zabuza, first fight me." He said as he opened his left eye to display the fully developed Sharingan that lazily spun there.

Zabuza finally turned to face Kakashi fully as he responded, "Ah…so I already get to see the famous Sharingan. I'm honored." He finished sarcastically. "When I was a member of Kirigakure's Anbu we kept a bingo book and it included information about you." He continued. "'The man who has copied over 1,000 jutsu': Hatake Kakashi, The Copy Ninja."

He then crouched down and leaned forward, one of his hands reaching down to rest on the long hilt of his massive blade, "Now, let's end all this talking; I have to kill that old man." As he said this said bridge builder tensed in alarm.

"But it seems, Kakashi, that I'll have to beat you first," he said, and then Zabuza _moved_. Jumping off of the hilt of the blade, he wrenched it free of tree, vanishing from sight. He appeared just as swiftly on top of the water of the lake to one side of the road, one hand raised above his head and the other in front of his mask in identical half hand seals.

The four members of Team 7 turned to face him as their client watched with apprehension. Threads of mist swirled around the missing-nin as they watched on. '_He's releasing a high amount of chakra,_' Kakashi thought, bracing himself to immediately react to whatever his opponent was about to do.

"**Kirigakure no Jutsu**." (Hidden Mist Technique) Zabuza said lowly and just clearly enough for his targets to hear, as the mist began to thicken, hiding the ninja from view.

"He's gone!" Tazuna blurted.

"He'll come after me first." Said Kakashi, trying to reassure the panicking man. Then he ruined whatever sense of safety had come with his words with what he said next. "Momochi Zabuza… When he was a ninja of Kirigakure he was known as an expert in the art of silent killing. You don't even notice until you're already dead… and it's not like I can use the Sharingan perfectly; you guys be careful."

Then, as if to compound what Kakashi had said, the deep voice of their opponent echoed from all directions, "8 choices: The liver, lungs, spine, clavicle vein, jugular vein, brain, kidneys, and heart." He gave a menacing chuckle, "Which one should I go after first?" he asked himself.

As he finished the mist grew even thicker, obscuring the team's view of even each other. Kakashi stayed silent in response, paying attention to anything that might give him a clue to where Zabuza really was. He brought his hands up to form a seal.

As the ki (killing intent) of the missing-nin washed over them, the team was, with some slight difficulty on the parts of Sasuke and Shikamaru, able to throw it off. The day after their bell test Sasuke had asked Noriko about the feeling she had given off when threatening Kakashi during their first meeting. She had told him about killing intent, and eventually ended up helping both of her fellow genin build up a resistance to the ki on their sensei's urging, though they had yet to develop any significant amounts of their own.

As a result even the ki of someone like Zabuza didn't affect them too much. All three genin got into a defensive formation around Tazuna and braced themselves for whatever would come next. Then, suddenly, Zabuza appeared between Shikamaru and Sasuke, and Tazuna, prepared to strike. As he went to move Kakashi was suddenly there, his kunai buried in the missing-nin's gut. Then the Copy-nin's eyes widened as the Zabuza he had stabbed collapsed into water. "Kakashi-sensei! Behind you!" Sasuke called out, as he saw this.

Indeed, Zabuza was behind him, his massive blade swinging into a swift diagonal underhand strike. It cut into Kakashi without difficulty, cleanly bisecting him through the waist. Just as suddenly as the attack had hit home, the two pieces of Kakashi's body became simple streams of water. '_**Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu**__?_' (Water Clone Technique) thought Zabuza incredulously. '_No way! He copied it inside this mist?_'

Suddenly a sharp kunai met the missing-nin's throat. "Don't move!" Kakashi ordered from behind him, his eyes narrowed at the back of his opponent's head. "It's over."

Zabuza just chuckled. "Hehehe… It's over?" he asked, and Kakashi raised an eyebrow in surprise at the nonchalance of the shinobi he had at knife point. "You don't get it." He said as if musing out loud. "There's no way you can defeat me with your monkey-like imitations."

He then turned to look Kakashi in the eye. "But that was rather impressive of you, copying my jutsu even through this mist. But…" he trailed off, smirking.

Then his voice finished what he was about to say from behind the jounin, "I'm also not that easy…" Kakashi quickly cut into the throat of the shinobi in front of him, showing it to be another water clone. As Zabuza began to swing his giant zanbato, Kakashi quickly ducked down into a crouch, completely avoiding the blade. As the strike missed, Zabuza let the momentum of the swing turn him around completely and, bracing the massive sword by stabbing it into the ground, used his gained momentum and steadiness of the sword to send a swift and harsh kick at Kakashi's unprotected side.

Said jounin was sent flying out over the lake as his team watched on in surprise. '_Now!_' thought Zabuza as he moved to strike at the bridge builder, but he was just as quickly stopped by the countless makibishi (spiked caltrops) that had been scattered there. His eyes narrowed at this. '_When…?_"

.-.

"Foolish…" said Zabuza as Kakashi hit the water.

'What is this?' thought the Copy-nin as he tried to rise out of the water. '_The water…it's heavy…_'

"Heh. Fool." Said Zabuza again as he rapidly formed hand seals. "**Suiro no Jutsu.**" (Water Prison Technique)

As he declared the name of the technique Kakashi looked up in surprise. '_Damn._' Water swiftly rose up to surround Kakashi, trapping him in a large ball of dense water. Zabuza's outstretched hand, anchored it's solidity. "What?" he said out loud.

The missing-nin just smirked as he responded. "You may have been trying to escape to the clear water, but that was a big mistake." He laughed and continued. "Hehehe, now I have you in an inescapable prison."

As Kakashi glared at him from where he was immobilized, the man gave an invisible smirk and said, smugness oozing from every pore, "It makes things tougher if you can move, you know." He then returned his attention to the land, from where the three genin and Tazuna had heard the whole exchange, once more serious. "Now… Kakashi, we can finish things later. First, I'll take care of them…"

He formed another one-handed seal in front of his face "**Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu**"

.-.

Noriko had watched the entire exchange wordlessly, slowly taking in all the information she had gained on Zabuza's abilities through out the fight. He seemed to be a primarily close-ranged fighter, taking advantage of his massive blade and large body to land devastating blows. He had made use of clever misdirections and stealth to get the drop on Kakashi, showing him to have a brain in his brawn as well. The way he entrapped Kakashi and his frequent use of water clones also showed him to have a decent grasp on ninjutsu, especially if his use of one-handed seals were any indication.

She had noticed that he, most likely, had to stay still in order to keep her sensei's prison intact. Also, as shown by his voluntary immobilization of his own arm, he probably didn't see anyone else on her team as a valid threat. That was a mistake, one she would most certainly take advantage of.

She clearly had to free her jounin-sensei, and do it with the least expenditure of energy she could, just in case the man had back up. She wouldn't put it past him. She returned her attention to the battle before her as another water clone formed from the water in front of them and climbed out onto the bank.

Then the missing-nin's clone spoke, a derisive amusement coating it's voice, "Hehe," it chuckled. "Wearing hitai-ate, and acting like 'real' ninja… A 'real' ninja is someone who has survived numerous brushes with death."

As he continued his dismissive monologue Noriko's visible eye narrowed in anger and her hands clenched within their sleeves. "Basically," he continued, oblivious, "Once you're good enough to be listed in my bingo book… then you can start calling yourselves ninja." It finished, and moved to attack.

It didn't go anywhere. Before the clone could take a single step, Noriko was suddenly there, with her small fist buried in it's gut. The world seemed to pause for a moment as it took in her actions, before suddenly speeding up again as the water clone was sent flying, it's body bursting into numerous droplets of water as it hit the lake.

The males around her, aside from her teammates who were a bit less surprised, gaped at her sudden actions and strength. As she straightened from her attack posture and regarded Zabuza from the bank her visible eye was as cold as ice. "I can't call myself a ninja, hmm…" even though she had said this softly her words seemed to echo across the water. Zabuza's eyes narrowed in thought. It seemed at least one of the genin wasn't as useless as he had assumed.

"Noriko, wait!" Kakashi suddenly said. "You don't know what you're dealing with! Take Tazuna and get out of here! The water clones can't move very far from their creator, and he can't move so long as he has me trapped. Get going!" he yelled.

Seeing his team's hesitation, he continued, "Have you forgotten? Our duty is to protect Tazuna-san!"

At this Noriko stopped and considered, turning to their client, "Old man…" she said softly.

Tazuna returned her stare and suddenly grinned, "Well, I planted this seed myself. I'm not going to say now that I desire to live so much that I'd stop you." Then he apologized. "I'm sorry guys. Fight as much as you want. Don't worry about me."

Noriko gave him a smile that was only half visible due to her mask. "But worrying about you is our job." She said, and then turned to other teammates. "You two, protect Tazuna. I'll take care of freeing Kakashi-sensei." She finished, before turning back to Zabuza.

Zabuza just laughed again. "Hah…hahahaha… I guess you'll never grow up." Noriko's eye went narrow in anger again. Zabuza continued, "Going to keep playing 'ninja', eh?" Then he raised a hand before him and said, "When I was your age, these hands were already dyed red with blood." He finished menacingly.

"'The Devil'… Zabuza…" Kakashi muttered.

"Ah…" said Zabuza, as he glanced at his prisoner. "So you've heard about it."

Said jounin ignored him and continued, "Long ago, in Kirigakure, also called 'the Bloody Mist', there was a final obstacle to becoming a ninja."

"So, you even know about that exam…" Zabuza said.

"What are you talking about?" asked Sasuke.

Zabuza just glared. "Fights to the death between students." He said.

Everyone there aside from said missing-nin looked shocked, except for Kakashi, who just seemed sad.

"Nakama who had trained and laughed and eaten at the same table together; friends who had helped each other and shared dreams… They were pitted against each other to go at it until one of them loses his life." Zabuza continued.

Then Kakashi interjected; "10 years ago, the Kirigakure genin exam was forced to change. This change came after the year previous, when a devil had appeared." He paused before continuing. "A young boy, who wasn't a ninja, or even a student, had, without pause or hesitation, slaughtered over 100 of the students." He finished.

Zabuza gave an invisible grin, his eyes turning up in pleasure, "That… sure was fun." he said, unleashing the full effect of his ki on the genin as he did so. Shikamaru and Sasuke staggered for a moment under the pressure, but Noriko stood mostly unaffected. Out of sight, hidden away within her long sleeves, her small fists clenched in anger at her opponent's callousness and bloodlust.

"Now do you understand? Get out of here!" Kakashi yelled.

Noriko's expression softened as she looked over to her sensei. "But, Kakashi-sensei, weren't you the one who said, 'those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash?'" she quoted, and winked. "Don't worry so much, sensei."

Seeing the wink, the man fell silent. '_That girl better have a good plan..._' he thought.

* * *

* - That would be the Land of Waves, the Land of Fire, and the Land of Water, respectively, just in case you didn't know.

* * *

_**Today's jutsu, in order of appearance:**_

**Kagemane no Jutsu **_Shadow Imitation Technique_

This technique allows the user to extend their shadow for as far as it has sufficient area to do so. Once it comes into contact with a target's shadow, the two merge and the target is forced to imitate the user's movements.

In this way the two can throw shuriken (or some other projectile) at each other at the same time if the user desires it. And, of course, to prevent hurting themselves, the user just has to have the shuriken holster in a place where you don't normally have it, like the back, so that the opponent draws nothing while the user draws a shuriken. If the target is out of range, the user can produce a better light source to increase their shadow's size or rely on preexisting shadows for their shadow to freely travel through. It's also possible to split one's shadow, either to trap more opponents at once, or to create a distraction.

The major downside of the jutsu is that it's very tiring to use repeatedly; the ability is subject to a form of diminishing return and decreases in potency after repeated use. For instance, Shikamaru can only maintain it for 5 minutes every time he uses it. If the user is low on chakra, the performance rate of the technique also deteriorates. Insufficient lighting will make the technique less effective as well. An opponent with particularly strong chakra and/or will can also resist the shadow's forced imitation.

A special technique of the Nara clan, it is a mostly supplementary technique.

**Kawarimi no Jutsu**

_Body Replacement Technique_

This jutsu allows the user to quickly switch places with another nearby object, such as a plant (normally a section of a log), an animal, or even another person within reach, the moment an attack hits. This creates an optical illusion, making the enemy think the attack was successful. The user can then use this confusion to escape or launch a counter-attack. Exploding tags can be attached to the replacement for an added surprise.

An E-rank, supplementary class, skill.

**Kirigakure no Jutsu**

_Hidden Mist Technique_

This displacement technique is a specialty of ninja from Kirigakure, where one causes mist to spring forth by utilizing the water around them. The user can then fade in and out of sight at will within the mist. The mist's thickness is controlled by the amount of chakra fed into the technique.

A D-rank, supplementary class, technique.

**Mizu Bunshin**** no Jutsu**

_Water Clone Technique_

The 'water clone' technique is similar to the 'shadow clone' technique, except it creates clones out of water instead of pure chakra. Another difference is that said water clones only have a tenth of the original's power.

Like the other solid clone techniques, the clones can be used to perform tasks that the user is unwilling or unable to do himself. However, the range of the clones is limited, as it cannot move very far from the user without collapsing. Also like other clone techniques, if the water clones are injured enough they will revert back to water.

A C-ranked technique.

**Suiro no Jutsu**

_Water Prison Technique_

This jutsu is used to trap a victim inside a virtually inescapable sphere of water. The only downside to this technique is that the user must keep at least one arm inside the sphere at all times for the victim to remain imprisoned.

This jutsu requires a significant amount of available water and, despite the fact that it is made entirely out of said water, it is stronger than steel. Once trapped the target is unable to move while in it due to the heaviness of the water. Because of the density of the water utilized, it can also be used, to a limited extent, for defensive purposes if preformed on oneself.

A C-rank, supplementary technique.

* * *

~ Author's Note ~

Here's another chapter for you all! I hope you like it; it was getting a bit long so I cut the first Zabuza fight in half, I hope you don't mind… Speaking of the fight, I admittedly took a lot from cannon, but do you think the way I transcribed it gave it justice? And don't worry; Noriko will really take the spotlight in the next chapter.

On another note, I'm glad that my decision to pair Noriko with Itachi was so well received. There had been a lot of votes for other male characters, so I'm glad I didn't get too many complaints.

The next chapter will probably be out by New Year's; in fact, I'll make it a point to work on it. So, review! It feeds my plot-bunnies!

~ Aljan Moonfire ~


	12. Chapter 11: Nami no Kuni

_**Aljan Moonfire does not own Naruto, in any way, shape, or form...**_

"Speaking."

'_Thinking._'

"**Demonic Speaking**."

'_**D******__e_monic Thinking.'

_Flashback and/or Dream_

"**Jutsu**" (English Translation)

.-. - scene break

* * *

_**Chapter 11 – Nami no Kuni**_

* * *

Zabuza brought his hand up, once again, to form a familiar hand seal. "**Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu.**" As he said this two more clones formed from the waters in front of him.

Noriko raised her arms before her, her small hands forming tight fists beneath her long sleeves. The two clones charge in a pincer movement, their replica blades swinging from different directions. Spinning, she jumped off her feet, sliding between the two slashes. Landing on her feet in a small crouch she immediately jumped to the side to avoid the continued attacks of the clones.

As she continued to doge she quickly noticed that the clones were much weaker and slower than the original had been. Quickly finding an opening, she landed two harsh kicks that sent the clones flying, just like the other had done previously.

'_That technique should do it,_' she thought as the clones broke into streams water. _'I only really need to get Kakashi-sensei free anyway, and then he can probably take care of the rest…_'

Before the missing-nin had a chance to create more clones, Noriko furrowed her eyebrows as if she were focusing on something. Shaking back her sleeve, she braced herself were she stood on the edge of the bank, and raised a gloved hand so that the palm was facing her opponent. Gathering her chakra, she changed its composition and focused it into the palm of her hand.

Her palm began to glow with flame, and a circular plane of red-orange fire swirled into existence over it. Then she spoke, "**Daiichi Enkou: Rensha Hiya**" (First Flame: Rapid-fire Fire Arrows). Suddenly, hundreds of little arrows made of flame erupted from the disk with an explosion of noise to crash into the lake beneath her opponent. Before said missing-nin could react, she adjusted her aim just enough to send the miniature comets into the arm that secured Kakashi's water prison.

As Noriko cut off her jutsu, Zabuza quickly jumped out of the steam caused by the explosion, clutching his slightly burned right arm to his side. He had managed to avoid most of the damage by releasing the water prison, but where it had hit him hurt like hell. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he ripped off the tattered remains of his arm warmer and chucked them to the side.

Glaring at the _genin_ that had actually managed to hurt _him_, Zabuza left the rest of his arm as it was as he smoothly drew his massive sword from it's harness with the other. Holding the blade out to the side, he quickly began to rush at Noriko, the blade rising to hack at her with a downward slash.

As he brought the weapon down it was stopped in its tracks. Kakashi was suddenly in-between the missing-nin and the kunoichi, blocking the giant sword with a kunai. His hair, dripping with water, hung over his hitai-ate. He glared at his opponent from between the white strands of hair as Zabuza jerked in surprise.

"Noriko, good work." He said, without looking back at her. "I'll take it from here." He then directed his words towards Zabuza, "I'll tell you that I won't fall for the same technique twice, so what will you do now?"

"Bah!" The missing-nin huffed, glaring right back at the other jounin. They drew back and clashed one more time, the sound of the striking blades echoing across the water. Then, as they both drew back and landed on the surface of the water, Zabuza began to make hand seals at a rapid pace and Kakashi followed so swiftly that it seemed to three of the observers that they had begun simultaneously.

They both finished on the Tori (bird) seal, and as they did they both called out, "**Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu**!" (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique). Large amounts of water shot up around each of the combatants to form, just as the name had implied, large dragons. They each gave silent roars and crashed into each out, sending large splashes of water flying everywhere.

Noriko shielded her eyes from the obstructing water drops and continued to watch, even as she backed away from the clashing waters. As the two dragons continued to clash above them, Kakashi and Zabuza locked blades once more, glaring at each other all the while.

'_That's strange…_' thought Zabuza as they glared and strained against each other's weapons. '_What's going on?_' he continued as their dragons' struggle finally died down. They pushed off from each other, sliding across the surface of the water.

As they dashed to the left in completely identical arcs he continued his thoughts. '_He…_ ' Suddenly they both slid to a stop and raised their hands in perfectly mirrored actions. He lowered one of his arms. '_My movements… He's completely…_'

"…reading them." Kakashi finished for him.

'_What? Did he read my mind?_' Zabuza thought as his eyes widened in shock. Kakashi's calm sharingan stared back at him.

'_Damn it!_' he thought, '_That…_'

"…freaky eye is pissing me off, right?" Kakashi asked with a careless and invisible smirk.

Zabuza jerked again in surprise and stared in shock at his opponent. Then he tried to brush it off as the two shinobi simultaneously shifted their hands back into a ram seal. "Heh, all you're doing is copying me," he began. The two men finished the sentence together though, "You can't beat me that way you monkey bastard!"

This time the missing-nin just became angry. "Damn you! I'll make it so you can never open that mouth again!" he had furiously begun to fly through more hand seals when he suddenly stopped in shock. '_Tha…that is…_'

Over the shoulder of the other shinobi he could make out a vague shadow of himself. '_Me…?_' he finished his earlier thought. '_That's… not possible!_' his thoughts continued, '_Is that a genjutsu?_' (Illusion skill)

While Zabuza had been preoccupied with his thoughts, Kakashi had quickly formed and finished the sequence of seals Zabuza had begun. "**Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu**!" (Water Release: Great Exploding Waterfall Technique) he called, his Sharingan eye spinning.

"What? Impossible!" Zabuza blurted out in shock as water rose behind Kakashi to form a swirling vortex of water that exploded into a great waterfall of liquid that proceeded to blow the missing-nin away. As the ninja was washed away by the immense current all he could think was, '_I'm the one who began the jutsu, but I can't even keep up!'_

The missing-nin's journey was suddenly arrested by the trunk of a broad and sturdy tree. Before him, the waters finally died away to reveal the trench they had carved out of the earth and his target and the genin watching from the bank of the now enlarged lake.

He gasped in pain as several kunai found their way into his limbs, crippling them. Words from his adversary suddenly echoed from behind him, "It's over…"

"How…?" Zabuza spat out, "Can you see the future?" he asked.

Kakashi's spinning eye was all he could see as the man replied, "Yeah. And you're going to die." He said and raised his kunai in a backhanded grip. Then the missing-nin felt a sharp pain in his neck and everything went black.

.-.

Noriko had watched the rest of the confrontation from her position on the bank, right in front of her team. When the waters had died down after the last massive Suiton technique, she had begun to move forward. She was able to hear everything that was happening on the other bank.

"Can you see the future?" Zabuza had asked.

And also Kakashi's reply; "Yeah. And you're going to die."

But after Kakashi said that, two long senbon needles were soaring through the air. They hit the exhausted missing-nin right through the neck. '_There's something wrong with this,_' Noriko thought as the ninja in the tree spoke.

"Hehe… you're right. He is dead." the masked boy said as Zabuza's body hit the ground.

Noriko just watched with narrowed eyes as Kakashi vanished from his tree branch to appear next to the unnaturally still man. Checking for a pulse with two fingers, he was not too surprised to find that he no longer had one. '_He really is dead then…_' the jounin thought.

"Thank you very much." The masked boy continued in a low, slightly feminine, voice. "I have been searching for the opportunity to kill Zabuza for a long time."

Kakashi continued to stare up at him, "That mask… You're a Kirigakure Hunter-nin, aren't you?" he asked.

"Impressive," the boy said softly, "That is correct."

"A Hunter-nin…?" Noriko half asked from where she stood.

The boy half turned to her and said, "Yes, my duty is to hunt down missing-nin. I'm a member of Kirigakure's Hunter-nin teams."

Kakashi, resting his hand on his knee, thought, '_From his voice and height he's probably not much older that Noriko, yet he's a hunter-nin…_' He frowned. '_He's not a normal kid…_' Then he gave an inward huff of amusement, '_Not that Noriko is either._'

The hunter-nin disappeared from his branch with the distinctive swirl of a shunshin and appeared next to Zabuza. "Your battle is now over," he said as he moved to raise the large man's frame over his shoulders, "and I must dispose of this –"

Noriko cut him off. "Are you sure you want to haul that heavy body all over the place with you?" she asked with a blank face. "Isn't it hunter-nin policy to cut off the head as soon as possible and burn the rest of the body?" She gave a soft smirk that was only half visible due to her mask and raised a palm that was glowing with red orange flame once again, "Maybe you need some assistance with that?" she asked mockingly.

She could almost see the boy's eyes widen behind his mask as she said this last. "Farewell." He said grimly before disappearing with the body in a swift shunshin.

"Hn." Noriko snorted, "He escaped." As she finished this last statement she cut off chakra flow to her hand.

Kakashi stared at Noriko in surprise for a moment before he gave a sigh and pulled his hitai-ate down to cover his Sharingan again. "Noriko," he began and then sighed again. "We'll talk more on your actions later." He turned to face the rest of the team and Tazuna. "Now, we have to get Tazuna-san back to his home. Let's go!"

Tazuna gave a relieved laugh, "Hahaha! Super thanks, guys! Come over to my house and relax for a while!"

As the bridge builder finished speaking Kakashi suddenly collapsed, no longer able to hold himself upright. "Huh? What's wrong?" exclaimed Tazuna.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Noriko asked in concern as she hurried over to him, the others not far behind.

'_My body…_' said jounin thought as darkness encroached on his consciousness, '_won't move. I…must have used the Sharingan too much…_'

As the jounin-sensei finally passed out Noriko sighed and created a few Kage Bunshin to carry him. She turned to Tazuna, "Tazuna-san, if you would show us the way to your home?" she asked politely.

"Ah, yeah…" the old man replied as he stared in surprise at the solid clones the girl had summoned. He then turned to lead them to his house.

.-.

**Elsewhere…**

The masked boy glanced around, searching for any threats. Seeing none, he stabbed Zabuza's zanbato into the ground and gently laid down the missing-nin's still body. Hovering over it, he removed as small pair of scissors from a previously rolled up cloth. Raising them he said, "First I'll cut off the mask to drain some of the blood, and…"

He jerked with surprise as a hand clutched at his arm. His invisible eyes traced up the arm to land on Zabuza's face. Said missing-nin raised his other arm to his bandaged mouth and said, staring at the supposed hunter-nin, "It's alright. I'll do it myself."

"Oh…" the boy said, staring at the missing-nin calmly, "So you've already 'come back to life'." he said serenely.

The man sat up and growled. "Damn… you sure are rough." He grabbed one of the senbon needles that were still stabbed through his neck and harshly pulled it out.

"Ah!" the boy exclaimed, and then continued in a soft deadpan, "You shouldn't be so rough on yourself. You'll really die, pulling them out like that."

"Keh." The man grunted, but conceded the point and pulled the other out a bit more gently. "How long are you going to wear that stupid mask?"

"It reminded me of the old days." The boy replied as he began to remove it. "Plus, it was useful for this act." The now completely removed mask revealed a face that could have easily belonged to a girl. "If I hadn't saved you, you definitely would have been killed. We almost did die anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"Just when I was about to take you away that blonde girl interfered. We would have almost certainly died if I hadn't been able to get away, seeing as Kakashi was still around."

"Huh…" Zabuza considered that. "Will you be able to take care of her?"

"Yes." He replied. "Will you be alright next time?" he returned as he stood to look over the clearing mist.

Zabuza leaned his forearms on his knees and glared at nothing. "Next time… I will defeat the Sharingan."

.-.

**Later that day…**

"Are you alright, sensei?" asked Tsunami, Tazuna's grown daughter, as she rested her hands on her hips. She looked to be in her late twenties and had long, dark hair and eyes.

Kakashi replied from where he was resting in a futon, "Yeah… I just won't be able to move for a week or so."

"Well, you guys defeated that strong ninja this time so we should be safe for a while, right?" Tazuna asked.

"No, not really." Noriko replied from her position against the wall.

"What do you mean by that?" asked the bride builder nervously.

Kakashi was the one to reply, "Hunter-nin are also known as body erasers. Their duty is to completely dispose of a body without a trace. A ninja's body holds many secrets in it, even when dead. Clues as to a village's ninjutsu, information on different chakra types, herbs, and many other things can be revealed." He explained.

"For example, if I died, the secrets of the Sharingan could be revealed. If you aren't careful there's always the risk that an enemy will be able to steal your techniques." He continued. "So, by killing and disposing of missing-nin who have abandoned their village, hunter-nin keep such information from getting out. They are specialists that guard their village's secrets." He concluded.

Here Noriko interjected, "Body erasing teams usually dispose of the body of the person they killed right there. That masked boy took the body with him though."

"Yeah…" Kakashi replied. "If he had needed proof of the kill he could have just taken the head."

"Add to that the weapon he used…" Noriko continued.

'_Senbon needles…_' thought Sasuke.

"You don't mean…?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah, exactly." Kakashi replied.

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Tazuna.

"Mostly likely…" Noriko said seriously, "Zabuza is still alive."

Tazuna looked absurdly shocked while Tsunami just looked a bit confused. "What do you mean?" the old man asked, "You checked and said he was dead didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did…" the jounin replied, "But it was most likely just a temporary death."

From here Noriko continued, "The senbon that the 'hunter-nin' used have a very low chance of actually killing an opponent unless they hit a vital organ. They're mostly used by doctors in acupuncture therapy. A hunter-nin has to know about every part of a body's structure. Putting a person into a state of momentary death would be easy."

"First, he used a weapon with a very low probability of killing. Second, he decided to carry away the heavy body of Zabuza instead of disposing of it on the spot." She continued.

"Aren't you thinking too much? Didn't you just say that hunter-nin were supposed to kill missing-nin?" Tazuna interrupted.

"No." replied Shikamaru. "Even if you discard that, there was also his reaction when Noriko confronted him. All of this points to the fact that his motive was probably not to kill Zabuza, but save him."

"Besides," Kakashi interjected, "whether or not Zabuza is alive, there's no assurance that Gato hasn't hired an even stronger ninja." he then turned to the rest of his genin. "With the wounds he received and the time it will take to recover from that state of temporary death, Zabuza shouldn't be combat ready for at least two weeks." Kakashi estimated. "We will need to prepare."

"Prepare?" asked Shikamaru with a strange sense of dread.

"Yes." The jounin confirmed and chuckled ominously. "Even though I can't move for the moment, I have some more training for you!" he finished cheerfully.

The two boys just stared at the jounin with slight apprehension. Whenever Kakashi began to act like that in relation to training it never meant good things for them. Noriko just gave a soft smirk, "Sounds like fun." She said. She always enjoyed watching her sensei torture her teammates.

"That's not fun." A young voice suddenly said from the doorway.

"Oh! Inari! Where were you?" asked Tazuna excitedly.

"Welcome back, Grandpa." Said boy replied gloomily, completely ignoring the question as he went to give his grandfather a welcoming hug.

"Inari, say hello to these nice people," Tsunami half commanded. "They're ninja who are protecting your Grandpa." She continued.

The small boy looked up from the hug to stare at the three older children in a sulky way for a moment before saying, "Mom… They're going to die," and pointing at them.

Noriko's eyebrow twitched in irritation, and even Sasuke and Shikamaru seemed at bit miffed at the blatant underestimation. "What did you say?" Noriko asked, as if she hadn't heard him correctly.

Inari just continued with is sulky glare, "There's no way you can win against Gato." He said, as if it were an undeniable fact. "If you don't want to die you should just leave." He finished as he turned to leave.

"Where are you going, Inari?" asked Tazuna.

The boy glanced back briefly as he opened the door, "To look at the ocean from my room."

"Sorry about that." Tazuna apologized sadly.

They were all quiet for a moment before Noriko suddenly broke the tense silence, "Well, Sasuke," she said, turning to the preteen, "That kid could give you a run for your money as the King of Brood." She finished sardonically.

The other occupants of the room couldn't help the brief huff of laughter her words invoked as said boy half-glared at her.

.-.

**Meanwhile, in Konoha…**

The Hokage went over Kakashi's report again, and let out a harsh sigh of distress. Apparently Team 7 had run into some serious trouble on their first C-rank mission. Just with the Demon Brother's attack the mission was already at least B-raked, but he had a feeling it would only get worse, especially as a former member of the Seven Swordsmen and been sighted in the area.

He knew that Kakashi could probably handle it, and even if he couldn't Noriko was there, but the urge to send them some sort of back up was immense; especially since Gato was involved. He knew he couldn't though. Because Nami no Kuni was such a neutral country, if he made a move to mobilize any amount of his forces in that direction, Konoha would fall under the suspicious eyes of the other nations.

Politics were such a pain.

The only thing he might be able to send would be another genin team, but almost all of the available teams were out on missions, and those who weren't had just graduated and wouldn't be much of a help. It seemed that Team 7 would have to deal with this on their own.

He quickly pulled out a scroll, brush, and ink to pen a response to Kakashi. If the man could manage it, he also had a side mission for the team once they got rid of Gato. Blowing on the ink to dry in quicker, he waited a moment before swiftly rolled it up and handed it over to the small dog summon that had delivered the original report.

"Get that to Kakashi as soon as you can, alright?" he told the pug.

As the dog's mouth was blocked by the scroll, it couldn't answer but it gave a nod anyways as it left through the window. Sarutobi sighed and turned back to his desk, grimacing at the piles of paperwork that had seemed to double while he'd looked away.

Picking up a stamp after he read the closest paper, a harsh red DENIED was soon stamped across it. There was no rest for the wicked after all…

.-.

**The Next Day…**

It was early the next morning that the entirety of Team 7 found themselves gathered on the docks outside of Tazuna's home, Noriko and Shikamaru still yawning.

Sasuke glared at his sensei, who looked extremely comfortable from where he was relaxing in a chair, crutches lying on the ground beside him. Since the others members of his team looked distinctly disinclined to open their mouths and ask what they were going to do, he asked, "So, what are we going to be doing then?"

Kakashi eye-smiled from behind his mask and said, "First, we will be honing your water-walking skills the same way we did with tree walking." He replied.

'_Well_', he thought idly, '_being dunked in the water a couple of times should wake Shikamaru up at least_.' He shrugged in response and stepped out on to the water, Shikamaru and Noriko slowly following suit.

As their sensei outlined what they were supposed to do to complete the exercise (Which, for the moment at least, consisted of learning to walk on water on their hands.), Noriko and Shikamaru quickly perked up a bit a listened.

Norio quickly got the exercise down and moved onto the next one as the boys continued to soak themselves, having a hard time splitting their focus between keeping their balance and regulating their chakra flow.

Kakashi watched their efforts with amusement (the best part of teaching is watching your students struggle after all), but couldn't help but wonder at their small watcher, observing them from a high window.

.-.

Inari glared down at the shinobi practicing underneath his window, his dark, resentful eyes shaded by his striped bucket hat. He gave a light huff of derision as he turned away from the view of the ocean and thought, '_That's just a waste of time._'

Suddenly he stopped moving, the face of an older man with short dark hair and a perpetual smile flashing through his mind. His fists tightened in distress as he bit his lip, undefinable emotions swirling in his chest.

.-.

**Elsewhere…**

Zabuza was resting in bed, apparently asleep. The boy that sat on stool to the right side of the bed watched over him vigilantly while he was unconscious. He looked up as he heard the door open.

"So even you have come back defeated." Gato said scornfully as he walked in, his body guards flanking him on either side. He continued speaking as the door closed behind him, "It seems that Kirigakure nin are pretty pathetic. You can't even avenge your own men? And you call yourself a devil?"

The missing-nin's eyes opened as the short man walked towards him, still speaking, "Don't make me laugh." Suddenly his bodyguards interrupted his little speech, sliding forward, ready to draw at anytime.

As they began to draw the boy looked on with narrowed eyes. '_An attack?_' he thought.

Then Gato raised a hand, waving them off, "Hold on for a second." He said. Moving over to stand near Zabuza's bed, he continued, "Hey. There's no need to stay silent." He said sneeringly as he reached out to touch the seemingly immobile man. "How about –"

He was cut off by strong finger grabbing his wrist in a stranglehold. "Don't you dare touch Zabuza-san with your dirty hands." The boy said, visibly furious, as he tightened his grip.

"Guh!" the short man choked out in pain, "You-!"

But before the man's bodyguards could even draw their weapons they swiftly found themselves held at sword point by their own katana. '_No way…_' they thought. '_Such instant movement…_'

""You shouldn't do that." The boy said menacingly, his eyes wide with anger, "I'm pissed off right now."

'_A monster…_' one of them couldn't help but think.

Gato griped his injured arm and gritted his teeth, sweating. "Fine!" he suddenly yelled, "One more time! If you fail one more time…you won't be able to come back here anymore. Remember that!"

They swiftly left, almost scurrying from the room in their haste.

As the boy sat back down Zabuza glanced over at him. "Haku…" he said as he lifted up the blankets so said boy could see the kunai he had clutched in his hand. "You didn't have to –"

"I know." The boy cut him off softly, "But it's too early to kill Gato. If we cause a commotion here they'll be after us again." He continued. "We must be patient." He finished with a softly sweet smile that made him look more like a girl than ever.

"Yeah," Zabuza agreed reluctantly, "You're right."

.-.

**Two Days Later…**

Noriko's clone yawned as she sat on the side of the bridge, keeping an eye on the workers. Carrying a length of wood over his shoulder, Tazuna stopped in front of it and said, "You seem kind of bored by yourself. Where are those other two?" he asked.

"Still training." She replied, glancing over at him lazily.

"You don't have to?" he asked in surprise.

"I am." She said calmly and pointed to herself, "This is just a reinforced bunshin." She explained.

He dropped what he was carrying in surprise, before sighing and leaning down to pick it up. '_Ninja…_' he thought exasperatedly.

As he placed the board back over his shoulder he was interrupted in his walk away from the girl. "Hey! Tazuna!" one of the men called out.

"Hn?" the old man grunted in surprise. "What is it Giichi?"

Said man sigh and reluctantly said, "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately and…" he hesitated be fore continuing, then just spit it out. "Can I stop working on the bridge?" he asked.

"What?" Tazuna asked in a sort of horror, "Why? Not you too." He ended up finishing dismally.

"Tazuna," the man sighed, "We've been close for a long time now, and I want to help you, but if we keep this up Gato will really take notice of us, and if we get killed than what's the point?" he asked hopelessly.

He then looked back up at Tazuna. "Why don't we quit?" he asked. "Building the bridge that is."

Tazuna was silent for a moment before replying. "I can't do that." He replied seriously. "This bridge is our bridge," he continued, "This is the bridge we all built together, believing it would bring some resources into our super poor country."

"But, if we lose our lives - !" the man cried out as Tazuna began to walk away from him.

The old man paused before looking back. Pulling on his hard hat, he replied, "It's already noon; let's stop for today. Giichi, you don't have to come in tomorrow." He said.

Noriko's clone watched it all, a contemplating look on its face.

.-.

Soon after the scene on the bridge the clone and Tazuna found themselves walking through the main streets of the crowded town. Beggars lined the streets and those that hadn't yet been reduced to such meager takings shuffled by with their heads hung low, defeated looks carved into their faces as if they'd always been there.

As Noriko took all this in with a sad frown Tazuna spoke, "I'm supposed to bring some food home for lunch." He said. Turning to a shop that was slightly less run down than the others he said, "Here we are."

"Welcome." Said the cashier as they walked in.

Tazuna quickly began to survey the food. What was there (and there wasn't much) was small and not in very good shape. The prices were astronomical in comparison to the quality but Tazuna didn't say a word and quickly paid and left.

"This city…" the clone muttered as it took in the hopelessness that just about permeated the air around her.

Tazuna, hearing her, replied sadly, "It's been like this since Gato came. All of the adults have lost hope. That's why we need that bridge," He explained, "as a symbol of courage… We need the people to lose their fear and regain the desire to stand up for themselves."

"If that bridge…" he continued sadly, now lost in thought, "If that bridge is completed the city will return to that time… The people will return to how they used to be…" he trailed off.

The clone looked at him in a kind of blank fashion before nodding at something. "Would like me to help?" it asked. "With the bridge." She expanded when he just looked at her oddly.

"How would you do that?" he asked, still confused.

"The original can make over fifty of us to help you out if you need it." It replied. "We still won't know a thing about bridge building, but we can at least help with the manual labor." It explained. "Just ask her about it at lunch."

"If you could really do that it would be a super big help." He said, and then nodded. "I'll be sure to ask."

They continued to walk down the road, in the direction of Tazuna's home, both satisfied with the outcome of the conversation.

* * *

_**Today's jutsu, by appearance…**_

**Daiichi Enkou: Rensha Hiya**

_First Flame: Rapid-fire Fire Arrows_

In order to utilize this jutsu the user forms pure fire into flat circles of flame over the flattened palms of their hands and then shoots small rapidly firing fire arrows out of it as if it were a strange sort of gun. (It can easily be done with a single hand as well.) The amount and speed of the arrows is dependent upon how much control and chakra the user has. With enough of both it can realistically mimic a machine gun with exploding rounds.

Made by Noriko as her first Fire technique, it is currently unique to her and utilizes no hand seals, simply pure fire manipulation. (Please also note that Noriko never used this jutsu to its full and lethal effect in this chapter. If she had she may have ended up hurting Kakashi as well and she knows it.)

A C to low B ranked offensive technique

**Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu**

_Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique_

This technique shapes a large amount of water into an immense, powerful dragon that hit an opponent head on, dealing great physical damage. The ideal place to utilize this technique is near a relatively large body of water, but, if the user's skill allows it, it is possible to draw the water needed out of the air. The amount of water used to form the dragon is proportionate the user's skill and chakra capacity.

A B-rank offensive technique.

**Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu**

_Water Release: Great Exploding Waterfall Technique_

This technique requires control over water to a great extent. The water first surges and rises up to several dozen meters high and then streams down to the ground in a great cascade, much like a waterfall. In doing so it resembles a huge wave; with the technique's tremendous bludgeoning power it can even hollow out the ground.

What remains after the jutsu finishes is reminiscent of a natural disaster. This is a considerably advanced ninjutsu and utilizing the technique requires a considerable amount of chakra.

An A-ranked offensive technique.

**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**

_Shadow Clone Technique_

Similar to the bunshin technique, this jutsu creates clones of the user. Unlike the bunshin technique, these clones are actual copies, not illusions. The user's chakra is evenly distributed among each clone, giving them each an even fraction of the user's overall power. These clones can perform jutsu themselves, and even bleed, but normally disperse after one or two solid blows. They can also disperse of their own volition and will be created in roughly the same condition as the user.

* * *

~ Author's Note ~

Happy New Year everybody! I hope you all like the chapter; I worked quite hard on it so I could post it on New Year's Eve. Did you all like the finish of the first Zabuza fight? I quite enjoyed working on it myself.

Can't think of much else to say, so review!

~ Aljan Moonfire ~


	13. Chapter 12: An Encounter in the Forest

_**Aljan Moonfire does not own Naruto, in any way, shape, or form...**_

"Speaking."

'_Thinking._'

"**Demonic Speaking**."

'_**D******__e_monic Thinking.'

"**_Demonic Mental Conversation._**"

_Flashback and/or Dream_

"**Jutsu**" (English Translation)

.-. - scene break

_**

* * *

**_

_**Chapter 12 – An Encounter in the Forest**_

* * *

**Later That Evening…**

The members of Team 7 and their client, as well as his family, sat around the table, quickly eating the food laid before them. Despite her best efforts, Tsunami, though clearly gifted in the kitchen, was unable to make the meager portions taste like anything but the rations they were.

As a result, while the members of her family and the ninja were too polite to say anything, they gulped the food down as quickly as they could. Tazuna, long since used to the quality of the food, was the first to speak after they began the meal, obviously trying to bring some cheer the quiet dinner table, "Wow! This is super fun!" he said, "It's been a long time since we've eaten with so many people."

There wasn't an immediate response as the three youngest members of Team 7 made it obvious that they were focusing on replenishing the energy they'd expended that day. Soon they held out their bowls and asked for seconds. It was only later, while they were all having their after dinner tea, that anyone seemed even remotely inclined to start a conversation.

Shikamaru, having noticed the youngest person in the room staring at it throughout the dinner, decided to ask the small family about something. "Why do you have that picture up there?" he asked suddenly, indicating the one she was speaking of with a nod of his head. At the startled stares directed towards him at the abrupt question he just stared back, unperturbed, at his audience and elaborated.

"I couldn't help but notice Inari staring at it during dinner, and wondered why it seems like someone had deliberately torn a person out of the picture." He explained. He, much like the rest of his team, was watching the small family closely for their answer, so he noticed with interest that the entire family had jerked with surprise at the explanation and then tensed as if awaiting a blow.

"It's my husband," Tsunami said sadly, looking away from the others at the table.

"And," Tazuna added in a slightly mournful tone, "the man that was once called the Hero of this city."

When he said this last, Inari jerked sharply upright to stand on his feet and stiffly stalked out of the room without saying a word. "Inari, where are you going?" Tsunami asked worriedly. The door on the far side of the room slammed closed behind him. "Inari?"

Then she spun on the boy's grandfather. "Father! I have told you not to speak of, of _that _man, in front of Inari!" she said harshly. Within seconds she had followed her son out of the room.

Tazuna just sighed sadly as the door slammed again. "What's wrong with Inari?" Noriko asked blandly as she took another sip of her tea, curious but unwilling to show it.

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "There must be some kind of explanation…" he prodded.

Tazuna gave in relatively easily and began to explain his grandson's actions. "Inari had a father." He began, "One not related to him by blood. He and Inari were very close though, as if they really were family." He sighed nostalgically, "Inari would laugh at lot back then…"

Tazuna began to tremble lightly, tears quickly forming in his eyes, "But…but he has changed… Ever since that happened to his father…" Tears still trailing from his eyes, he continued, "The word 'courage' has been stolen from this island, and from Inari. Ever since that day…that incident…"

"What incident?" Kakashi interrupted, trying to get to the point.

Tazuna slowly pulled off his spectacles and wiped his eyes. As he did so he said, "Before I get to that…" he continued, "I'll first have to tell you about the man this city called 'Hero'." Team 7 perked up with interest at the title.

"It was about three years ago that Inari met that man. He taught Inari what it meant to be strong, to protect what was important to him. His name was Kaiza, a fisherman that had come here to follow his dreams. He and Inari soon became very close. It may have been because Inari's real father had died before he'd gotten a chance to know him, but he and Kaiza became almost inseparable, like a real father and son. It was only a matter of time until Kaiza became a part of the family."

He smiled slightly as he reminisced, before continuing, "But Kaiza was just the man this city needed as well. When a terrible storm threatened to cause the dams to overflow, he was the one who saved us as Inari watched on. It was then that Kaiza began to be called the Hero of this city. Inari couldn't have been prouder of his father." He stopped there for a moment before continuing ominously, "But then, then Gato came."

"It was then that this 'incident' occurred?" Kakashi assumed. "What exactly happened?" he asked.

"In front of everyone in this city, Kaiza was put to death by Gato." He replied starkly. Their eyes all widened in shocked horror. "From that day on," he continued grimly, "Inari changed. As did Tsunami, and this entire city."

There was a brief silence as the team absorbed his words. At long last, it was Noriko who spoke. She rose from where she was sitting at the table and made to leave. As she did so she said, "I'm going to go do some training."

"Noriko," Kakashi attempted to stop her. "It might be best to wait until you're more rested. I know you've been at it all day."

Though her movements were clearly sluggish, she didn't even pause at his words. "Don't worry about me, Kakashi-sensei," she threw back over her shoulder with a slight smile. Then she was gone.

.-.

The next week or so passed in blur for almost all those involved. Sasuke and Shikamaru spent their time perfecting their use of the water-walking exercise under Kakashi's guidance. Everyday a reinforced bunshin would guide Tazuna to the bridge and make around fifty clones to help him with his work.

Kakashi's body slowly recovered, and he was soon reaching his former health. Noriko spent her days training separately from the rest of the team, and when they would ask what she was doing every time she came back for dinner exhausted, she never gave a direct answer.

It was about six days after Tazuna had told team 7 about Kaiza's death that the three genin stumbled in late and completely exhausted. When Sasuke told Kakashi that they had finally completed the last exercise he'd assigned them, he finally gave his permission to guard the bridge with Noriko's clones.

They smiled briefly in relief, but quickly collapsed into their chairs. Noriko soon followed suit, somehow looking even more roughed up than her teammates. She was clearly happy about how her training was going but took delight in being as secretive as ever. As they slowly ate their food, Inari watched them all grimly. Noriko eyed the brooding boy warily, knowing that whatever he'd been thinking about so furiously for the past week or so was about to explode.

When he started glaring and tears began to pour down his cheeks she had to ask, "What?" it came out a bit lazily but the question was still there.

Inari glared even harder, unable to understand why they were all working so hard at something only to fail, because he knew they would fail; as far as he was concerned it was inevitable. "Why…?" he whispered, before ranting, glaring straight at Noriko, "Why? Why are you idiots bothering to train so hard? No matter what you do you still won't be a match for Gato's men! No matter what you say or how hard you work, when facing the strong the weak will just die!" he cried.

The rest of the table just stared at Inari in surprise. Noriko was the only one to reply. "Whatever, kid." She said, not even bothering to look at the child. "I'm not like you."

Inari jerked back at this, but persisted, yelling back, "Yeah? Well I don't ever want to be like you! You don't know anything about this country, yet you're being so nosy! What the hell do you know about me!" he stood up to better deliver the force of the words he was throwing at the girl, hand clenched his hands at his sides in anger and distress. "Training all the time, acting so optimistic," He continued bitterly, "Of course I'm different from you! You don't know how hard life can be!" he finally finished, panting harshly.

Everybody in the room twitched as they felt some thing snap, the air suddenly growing colder. "So it's ok for you to pose as the star of your own tragedy and cry all day?" she asked softly, incredulously. She suddenly glared at Inari and made an aborted motion to touch her mask, her only visible eye as cold as ice.

She suddenly stood, and despite her normally small size, she quite literally towered over the small boy on the other side of the table. "Just go on crying forever then, you brat!" she said loudly. She glared at him for another minute, and then said softer, but no less viciously, "and don't even try to speak of things you know nothing of."

Inari trembled slightly and tensed as if expecting more harsh words, tears still pouring down his face. She didn't say anything more though, and turned on her heel. She quickly strode out of the house, slamming the door behind her, and leaving only a stunned silence in her wake.

.-.

Noriko almost ran through the woods, but mostly kept herself to a very fast walk. Inside her head she was less calm though, "I don't know what a hard life is, huh?" she asked herself incredulously, finally stopping to lean against a tree on the edge of a small clearing.

"Me?" she muttered to herself again, pushing herself off of the tree to move into the center of the clearing. Sinking slowly to her knees there, she glared down at her knees and slumped forwards slightly, her long hair slipping forward at the movement.

"You've got to be kidding." She said out loud again. Ever so slowly she reached up and pulled off her half-mask, letting it fall to the ground carelessly. Her good eye clouded with memories as she slowly traced the familiar scars with her fingers, remembering.

After a little while Arisa spoke softly from deep within her mind, "_**You know that that brat has no idea what he's talking about, right?**_" she asked mildly.

Noriko nodded and replaced the mask, replying out loud since no one was around. "Yeah." She said softly, biting her lip as she remembered her brief loss of control. She then curled up into a ball, resting her forehead on her knees as she closed her eyes. "I thought I was over this..." She muttered almost inaudibly into her lap.

"_**You don't just 'get over' something like this, and you know it.**_" Arisa replied, ignoring that the girl had probably meant it as a rhetorical statement. She hated seeing her adoptive daughter in so much pain, and tried to do what she could to help her, but in reality, there simply wasn't all that much she could do about it.

A long time ago, when she had first begun to train Noriko, the girl had sworn to be strong, to stop crying, and to do something about her situation instead of just despairing about it or ignoring it. Arisa had supported that attitude then, and still did so now.

The problem was that Noriko now thought that it was a bad thing, letting her emotions over take her like this, and suppressed a lot of her more negative feelings behind thick barriers in her mind, believing that they made her weak. If you add on to that the fact that her body had recently started to go through puberty, well…

Every so often though, something would set her off, bringing up her darker memories and emotions. She was usually able to contain the severity of her reaction until she was alone, but it was still a problem, one that she mostly refused to address.

So, you might say that she had a swamp of her darkest memories just lurking in the back of her mind, festering untended. In her mindscape they manifested themselves as the dark forest that circled the snow filled meadow and cherry tree that made up the rest of her consciousness.

She knew how it had come to be, but she also knew that Noriko would never tell her the entirety of how her isolated, neglected, and emotionally and (occasionally) physically abused life had affected her. Most of the time the only hints she got into that darkest part of her mind was in her darker music… That was an idea, maybe…

"_**Noriko-chan, why don't play some music or write another song or something? You might feel better afterwards.**_" She suggested.

For a moment Noriko didn't reply. Then she said, "That…" she began but trailed off. Then she quickly straightened herself up a reached into her left sleeve with her opposite hand. She pulled out a small, but thick notepad and flipped to the middle, pulling out a simple pencil as she did so.

Frowning again, she bit her lip. Then she began to write.

**.-.**

**Meanwhile…**

After that disastrous end to the night's dinner, Kakashi, while stepping outside for a breath of air, noticed Inari curled up at the edge of one of the docks, clearly brooding again. He gave a soft sigh, considering something for a minute before seemingly coming to a conclusion and stepping over towards the boy.

"Can I join you?" he asked, regarding the child he was addressing with an unfathomable look in his only visible eye. Inari slowly nodded his permission.

They both didn't say anything for awhile. Then Kakashi spoke again. "Noriko didn't mean any harm by what she said earlier;" he began. "It's just that what you were saying, how you said it; it probably hit a nerve."

Inari glanced at Kakashi, curious, but still slightly wary about the blonde girl.

"Tazuna-san told us about your dad, and what happened to him," he continued. "Like you, Noriko grew up without a father; in fact she never knew either of her parents." At this Inari jerked slightly with surprise. "From what I know she doesn't have many, if any, friends either. Most of our village dislikes her and, honestly, she's had a rougher life than even you." He said idly, not even glancing at the boy who had shifted to look up at him incredulously.

He finally turned to stare at Inari, trying to convey the truth of what he was saying. "But I've never seen her cry or complain. When I really think about it, Noriko is one of the strongest people I know. She never lets any of it affect her, or influence her actions."

"She wants people to acknowledge her, respect her; and she'd do anything for that dream. She'd even risk her life for it. She's probably gotten sick and tired of crying." He mused. "She knows what it means to be strong, just like your father, and I think she may understand you feelings better than anyone else."

"What?" Inari asked, surprised.

"She just can't seem to not be concerned about you." He declared, smiling, his visible eye curved in happiness. Inari just flushed slightly; unsure of how to feel.

Kakashi left soon after, but Inari stayed out there on the dock, pondering what the jounin had said. '_What it means to be strong, huh…'_

.-.

**Early the Next Morning…**

Haku rose from where he had been checking on their rapidly dwindling supplies. Moving over to the window he stared out at the mist as he pondered what to do. Zabuza-sama's injuries were worse than he had originally thought. Had he simply fought only Hatake-san he might have already been better, but the burns he had received from the blonde girl's attack were much more severe than they had looked from a distance. The chakra exhaustion didn't help much either.

Added on to that was the fact that they really didn't have much that was capable of helping burn wounds heal, and they had a problem. Luckily, most of the ingredients for a rather potent burn balm he had learned how to make a few years ago grew here, in Nami no Kuni.

Still, it would probably be better to be as inconspicuous as possible. Sighing slightly, he reached up to mess with the cloth covered bun secured to the back of his head and then let his long dark hair fall down to reach a few inches below his shoulder blades.

He quickly ran a comb through the blue-black locks, and pulled on a simple single-layered pink yukata decorated with equally simple dark blue swirls. Grabbing a plain woven basket, he smoothly made his way out the door, slipping on a pair of comfortable wooden clogs as he did so.

.-.

Around twenty or so minutes later found the simply, but effectively, disguised boy kneeling in a small sunlit clearing. He extended a pale hand to carefully pluck a small plant from a patch of many like it. He smiled peacefully in greeting as a tiny brown sparrow alighted on his shoulder, but continued to gather the herbs he had come for.

As was his intention, were anyone to pass by all they would have seen would be a serene peasant girl, out early to gather some herbs. "Oh?" he gave a soft gasp of surprise as the bird leapt from it's human perch to glide over to the other side of the clearing. Following the small creature with his eyes, Haku was definitely surprised by what it landed on.

Not even twenty yards away, a small blond girl was curled up, clearly sleeping. The sparrow that had just left his shoulder hovered above her for a moment before gently landing on her outstretched hand. It was only when he caught sight of the hitai-ate loosely tied around her neck that he recognized her. It was the girl that had injured Zabuza-sama!

Quickly rising to his feet Haku quickly and silently moved over stand above the girl. Bending over her, he reached out to slip his hand beneath the glistening forehead protector to snap her neck. Then he hesitated, biting his lip in uncertainty. She was so small…

Finally he withdrew his hand and knelt on the grass beside her. After settling his partially filled basket beside him he reached out again, but this time only intending to wake her. Just as his hand might have touched her shoulder her eyes flew open and her own hand, gloved in a soft black material, snapped up to lock itself around his wrist.

He jerked back instinctively at the sudden restraint, but her grip held firm. As she had followed him backwards, she was now sitting upright, looking at him curiously. "Ah! I'm sorry," He quickly apologized. "I was just trying to wake you up; you'll catch a cold if you sleep out here." He explained.

She gave an absent nod at his answer, but lowered her eyes to the limb she had captured when she woke up. Frowning slightly, she turned it over, as if examining it. Still frowning she turned attention back to the disguised boy, just he was about to ask what was wrong she raised her other hand to touch his chest.

"Wha – " he began, surprised, but she quickly interrupted.

"You're a boy." She stated plainly.

He stared at her in surprise for a moment before smiling, slightly rueful. "Yes. That I am."

She just nodded in response at the confirmation and released his hand. Withdrawing slightly, he rubbed his wrist where she had grabbed it, wincing slightly at the small bruises left by her tight grip. "Who are you?" she asked, a slightly suspicious tone coating her voice.

"My name is Haku." He said. "And you?"

She hesitated for a moment before replying, "I'm Uzumaki Noriko." She finally said.

"That's a nice name," he said, giving her a gentle simile.

"Thanks…" she replied softly, smiling back. It was nice, speaking to someone who didn't know who she was. "So, what are you doing out here so early?" she asked.

"I'm collecting some herbs for a sick friend of mine," he hesitated for a moment before asking, "Would you like to help?" Noriko's small smile broadened and she nodded her agreement.

A few minutes later found them back over where Haku had originally been gathering herbs. Noriko sighted a plant that was a bit different from the rest and plucked it from the ground. Holding it out for the boy to inspect, she asked, "Is this the plant you're looking for?"

He examined it for a minute before taking it from her. "Yes, it is. Thank you for helping me."

"It's no problem." She returned.

"So what were you doing out here so early?" he asked her in turn, curious.

"Nothing much." She replied. "I just fell asleep accidentally when I was out here last night."

"Oh." The boy said softly. Then he pretended to catch sight of her hitai-ate for the first time. "That hitai-ate…" he trailed off. ""Could you be a ninja?" he asked, as if surprised.

"Yes, I am." She replied, a slightly prideful inflection coating her voice.

"Wow." He pretended to be impressed. "But you're so young…" he said.

"I'm twelve years old." She replied, slightly irritated. "I can fight and train with the best of them."

"Really?" he asked mildly. "But I wonder… why is that? Why do you fight, and train?"

"Because I want to be stronger." She said seriously. "Strong enough to be the leader of my village. Strong enough for everyone to acknowledge me. And right now, there's something I want to prove to someone."

Haku paused in his gathering of herbs to ask, "Is that for yourself? Or for someone else?"

"Huh?" Noriko titled her head, puzzled, and unsure of what the boy meant.

He chuckled lightly at the cute expression before reiterating, "Do you have someone who is precious to you?" His expression softened as he remembered the first time he met Zabuza-sama. Then he returned his attention to the small girl in front of him. "I believe that when a person has something important to protect, that's when they become truly strong." He declared.

Noriko's eye widened at the boy's seriousness, before softening as she remembered all the people that were important to her. Saru-jiji, Arisa-kaa-san, Iruka-sensei. Her team. Then she smiled at the boy, her visible eye curving. "Yeah, I understand that very well." She said.

Haku smiled again. "Then you'll become very strong indeed." He gracefully rose to his feet and began to leave. "Let's meet again." He said, and Noriko nodded in agreement. He smiled wider and left the clearing, soon vanishing from the sight of the small girl.

As soon as he did so the smile fell, crumbling from his face. '_Zabuza-sama..._'

.-.

Noriko watched the feminine boy leave the clearing, an impassive expression on her face. She knew exactly who that boy had been, had sensed him the moment he set foot in the clearing.

His scent and voice matched that of the hunter-nin that had saved Zabuza. So clearly his 'sick friend' was Momochi himself. The plants he had gathered were ingredients for an obscure, but effective, burn balm she had found in the tower's library years ago. If he used that balm Zabuza should be back at 100% in less than a week, matching up with Kakashi's estimates.

There was really no need to tell Kakashi of this encounter. It wouldn't change anything, and really, despite herself, she kind of liked this Haku. '_A precious person, hmm…_'

.-.

Over the next several days Noriko spent most of her time out of the house, training, and letting her teammates guard the bridge. She still sent more than a few clones every morning to help Tazuna out though and every morning, without fail, Noriko found herself heading to the clearing where she'd met Haku. And every morning, also without fail, Haku would be there to greet her.

Over the course of their encounters they learned more about each other's personalities, but Haku was careful to conceal his identity as the 'hunter-nin' and Noriko careful to keep her knowledge of who he was just as secret. Despite themselves the two found that they grew closer, quicker than they might have thought possible.

Haku, against his better judgment, had also decided to keep their encounters a secret from Zabuza. For Haku it was the simple fact that Noriko was his first friend, and the first person to see him as he was, not as a bloodline carrier or as a tool, that led him to cherish their relationship. No matter how much he loved Zabuza that was something he couldn't see the man ever doing.

For Noriko it was much the same. Haku didn't know about the (former) Kyuubi, he didn't know what she was. As a result he didn't have to overcome the preconceptions of her (former) Jinchuuriki status, as all of her precious people except for the Sandaime and Arisa had had to do (Even though Sasuke and Shikamaru didn't know that that was what they were doing). It was something she treasured.

They never talked about their pasts, or their 'precious people', in fact most of their short conversations often dwindled into comfortable silences. It wasn't long before Noriko resolved to find a way for her new friend to survive their upcoming confrontation.

.-.

It was purely out of ingrained habit that Kakashi checked Noriko's room every morning. As a result he was quite surprised to find her there almost a week after her short confrontation with Inari, fast asleep. Quietly backing out of the room and shutting the door, he turned to meet the eyes of his remaining genin. Raising a finger to his mask he beckoned for them to follow him downstairs.

Once they were in the kitchen Shikamaru asked, "What's wrong sensei?"

"Nothing." He replied, "But Noriko is sleeping upstairs. She looks completely exhausted, so it would be best for her to sleep as much as she can."

As Tazuna entered the room he turned to the man and explained the same thing. He'd have to do without the extra labor today. Soon they were outside, waving goodbye to Tsunami for the day. "Goodbye, and please take care of Noriko. I don't know if she'll wake up before we get back, but if she does tell her I said to take it easy, at least for today." Kakashi told the woman.

"Yes, I will." She replied.

Tazuna then interjected, "Ok! Let's super go!"

.-.

**Meanwhile, Under the Bridge…**

"Is the ambush ready?" came the static filled demand from the handheld radio resting at the bottom of the boat. "Hey! Zabuza! Are you listen –" it was abruptly cut off by the foot of the one it was addressing smashing it into the wood.

Zabuza ignored the still sparking remains of the small machine and turned slightly to address his apprentice. "Shall we go, Haku?" he asked.

The boy hesitated slightly, the flash of a small blonde girl's face flying through his mind. Finally he gave the only reply he could. "Yes."

He slipped on his mask once again, hardening his heart as he did so.

.-.

**Ten Minutes Later, On the Bridge…**

"Wha - what is this?" exclaimed Tazuna, staring at the groaning bodies stretched out across the structure. He hurried over to one of the still barely conscious men and lifted him up, repeating the question.

"A – a monster…" the man managed to mumble before finally passing out.

As the old bridge builder attempted to wake the man again Kakashi's visible eye narrowed. _'…can it be…_'

.-.

**Meanwhile, back at Tazuna's house…**

"Inari! Help me with the dishes!" Tsunami called from the kitchen.

"Okay, but I'm in the bathroom." He called back.

Outside the door of the seaside home, two mercenaries smiled grimly.

.-.

**Back at the bridge…**

A thick covering of mist suddenly enveloped the bridge. _'This mist…_' Kakashi thought warily. "They're coming!" he declared grimly. They all tensed in alarm, reaching for their weapons as Tazuna gulped nervously.

Kakashi raised his hand in a neutral seal, ready for anything. _'So he's already here…_'

Then a smug and familiar voice rang through the white fog, coming from every direction. "Long time, no see, Kakashi." He said, his bloodlust evident in his voice.

Then at least eight water clones appeared with small white wisps of smoke still hovering about them, surrounding the four males completely. "Do it, Sasuke," said the jounin as a reply, his eye curving mockingly at a nearby clone.

As the clones rushed forward the boy almost completely vanished from sight. He reappeared a few seconds later in almost exactly the same position, weapons raised, as the water clones burst into streams of their natural element around the small group, not a single one left standing.

'_You can't fool me!_' the boy thought, admittedly slightly arrogant, as the water hit the bridge.

"Hmmm. He saw through the water clones." This time the voice was easily locatable as the missing-nin stepped out of the mist, a familiar masked boy only a step behind. "That brat has grown."

"It seems like a rival has appeared." He continued idly. "Eh, Haku."

Haku, though slightly confused by the lack of Noriko's presence, replied immediately. "Indeed it does, Zabuza-sama."

* * *

~ Author's Note ~

Chapter 12 has finally arrived. I apologize for the delay and hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. It may seem like it was mostly filler, but it did some necessary setting up of the plot. Don't worry; we'll get to some real action in the next chapter.

As always reviews are more than welcome… SO REVIEW!

~ Aljan Moonfire ~


	14. Chapter 13: The Battle on the Bridge

_**Aljan Moonfire does not own Naruto, in any way, shape, or form...**_

"Speaking."

'_Thinking._'

"**Demonic Speaking**."

'_**D******__e_monic Thinking.'

"**_Demonic Mental Conversation._**"

- _Flashback and/or Dream _-

"**Jutsu**" (English Translation)

.-. - scene break

_**

* * *

**_

Chapter 13 – The Battle on the Bridge

* * *

Across the short expanse of misty bridge, the two opposing groups stared each other down, the echo of Haku's words echoing across the bridge.

Kakashi's mouth set into a grim line beneath his mask. "It seems my estimate was right on the mark." He said softly. Despite how quietly he had uttered the statement, it easily reached the ears of the three males closest to him. He continued speaking, slightly louder this time, "That masked one… He's clearly Zabuza's comrade, where he's standing says it all."

"I'll fight him." Sasuke suddenly volunteered, "Trying to trick us with that stupid act…" he trailed off and then shook his head. "I hate bastards like that the most." He finished, adjusting his grip on his kunai until they were held in a backhanded grip and charging forward.

Meanwhile, on the other side on the confrontation, Zabuza and Haku continued their conversation in a quieter tone. "An impressive young man," the younger male commented impassively. "Even though water clones only have a tenth of the strength of the original… Still, very impressive."

"But we gained the first advantage." Zabuza returned, unmoved. "Go."

"Yes." Haku obeyed. Griping a steel senbon in his fingers the boy spun off, disappearing in a swirl of motion. His thick wooden sandals slipping easily along the soaked path before him, Haku rotated with perfect balance, spinning towards his brunette opponent.

Bewildered slightly by his enemy's unorthodox movement, Sasuke barely had time to shift backwards to a more defensive stance before the other boy was upon him. '_What -?_'

The weapons swiftly clashed, and Haku continued to spin into another attack as Sasuke was thrown slightly off balance. Just as Haku's senbon came down to cut into Sasuke's neck, it was blocked by the kunai in his other hand. They continued to clash, evenly matched, as their teachers watched on.

'_Ah… So he can actually keep up with that speed…_' Zabuza thought speculatively.

Kakashi just continued to watch the confrontation, impassive. Then he spoke to Shikamaru. "Shikamaru, guard Tazuna. I'll take care of Momochi." He said. "We'll let Sasuke handle that one." He continued as he moved forward slightly.

"Ah." Replied the remaining genin quietly in confirmation as he raised his hands into a neutral seal before spreading his senses into the mist surrounding them.

Meanwhile, the two boys that had already begun to fight had paused in an apparent deadlock. "I don't want to have to kill you," Haku told his opponent softly, "but you won't stand down, will you." He finished.

"Don't be foolish." Sasuke returned, smirking, even as a small bead of sweat dripped down his cheek.

"I see…" Haku said, expression hidden behind his mask. "But you won't be able to keep up with my speed the next time." He continued; voice soft as ever. "Plus, I've already gained two advantages."

"Two advantages?" Sasuke repeated, eyes narrowing warily.

"The first is the water on the ground," the masked boy kindly explained, "and the second is that I've occupied one of your hands." Sasuke could almost feel the menace creep into his opponent's soft voice as he finished speaking, "From now on, you'll only be able to run from my attacks."

The masked teen slowly raised his free hand in a half ram seal as he finished his last statement. Then he swiftly blurred through multiple seals with that single hand as his opponent watched on with wide eyes. '_With one hand?_'

Kakashi, who had caught sight of the feat, was just as surprised. '_I've never seen that before…_' he thought grimly.

Finally Haku stopped, back on a half ram seal, and slammed his foot into the water beneath him. "**Sensatsu Suisho!**" (A Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death) he declared softly as a cage of sharpened water surrounded them on all sides.

'_Doesn't want to kill…_' Zabuza thought, stoic as ever. '_Is that true...?_' he wondered idly as Kakashi's eye widened in surprise.

Sasuke just smirked slightly and narrowed his eyes in concentration. Haku jumped backwards just as the deadly water needles converged on his position, missing the blur that shot upwards as just as the water jutsu collided with a sharp splash.

As the water fell to the ground without obstruction, Haku's eyes widened behind his mask with slight surprise. '_He's gone!_' Suddenly he jerked with realization, raising his mask to the sky just in time to dodge a quick succession of shuriken.

Then suddenly Sasuke's voice came from behind the masked nin's back. "You're pretty slow," he commented, and, feeling a bit cocky, decided to throw the shinobi's words back at him. "From now on, you will only be able to run from my attacks." He finished, raising a kunai as he did so.

Sasuke swiftly moved forward as soon as he finished speaking, spinning much like the Haku had earlier into an attack. Haku barely managed to block the first strike, and was caught completely off guard by the second, the kunai griped in the boy's hand suddenly flying towards his face.

He ducked down to dodge the kunai and was met by the sight of Sasuke's foot rising to meet his mask with a sharp crack that sent him flying back towards Zabuza. '_What?_' said missing-nin thought incredulously. '_Haku lost in speed?_'

"It looks like I have the advantage in speed." Sasuke declared somewhat smugly, unknowingly responding to Zabuza's thoughts.

Zabuza didn't respond for a moment. Then he lowered his head slightly, chuckling. "Hehehe…" he laughed softly. "Haku, do you realize?" he asked. Then he answered himself. "At this rate we'll be driven back." He told the boy.

Haku sat up and raised his hand to his mask, checking for any damage. Finding none, he stood, a cold mist rising around him. "Well, we can't have that…" the boy said softly, twisting his hands into a strange seal.

Sasuke suddenly shivered, and frowned. '_What's this chill?_' Then his eyes widened in surprise as the water around him suddenly rose into the air, forming large mirrors of ice in a dome around him.

"**Hyouton Hijutsu: Makyo Hyosho.**" (Ice Release Secret Technique: Demonic Crystal Ice Mirrors)

.-.

**Ten minutes ago, back at Tazuna's house…**

Gato's two mercenary bodyguards exchanged smug grins as the voice of Tsunami came faintly from within the house. They broadened even further as her son replied from further away. Then taller of the two swiftly drew his long samurai sword, smashing carelessly through the flimsy wooden door of the dockside home.

Tsunami spun from the sink across the room as the two men stepped arrogantly into the house. The shorter one gave her a once over and asked, "Are you Tazuna's daughter?" taking her horrified expression as confirmation he continued completely unapologetically, "Sorry, but you're coming with us."

"Kyaa!" Inari heard his mother give a scream from where he was washing his hands in the bathroom. Rushing out of the room, he came to an abrupt stop at the sight that met his eyes. Two mercenaries, the same ones that had participated in the execution of his father, stood over his mother, who had clearly been pushed to the floor.

"Mom!" he yelled, panicked, and inadvertently brought the mercenaries attention down on himself.

"What? A kid?" the taller one sneered.

"Don't come over here!" Tsunami screamed at her son, frantic, "Run away!"

"Should we take him too?" he continued, as if the woman hadn't said anything at all.

"We only need one hostage," the shorter of the two replied, reaching for his sword.

'_Hostage?_' Inari thought, alarm apparent on his face.

"Should I kill him then?" the tall one asked as he revealed a couple of inches of blade.

"Wait!" Tsunami called out franticly before the other could reply. Grimly setting her mouth with determination, she continued, her voice unbelievably steady. "If you even touch that child, I will bite my tongue and kill myself."

As she said this Inari began to cry, so terrified he couldn't do anything but watch as his mother threatened to sacrifice herself for him. "You want a hostage, right?" she challenged, her face pale with stress as her pupils dilated with fear.

More tears trailed down the boy's cheeks as the two men sheathed their swords. "Heh, thank your mom, kid." Said one as the other complained slightly.

"Damn… I wanted to cut something."

"Give it a rest," the shorter one replied, "You just cut up a bunch of stuff. Let's hurry up and take her back."

Inari barely noticed as the voices of the two men faded out of his hearing. Practically collapsing where he stood, wrapped trembling arms around his legs, drawing them into his chest as he continued to cry. '_Mom… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…_' he thought. '_I'm so weak, and I can't protect you…_' his tears intensified even more at the thought. '_And I don't want to die… I'm so afraid…_'

- _"You brat!"_ -

It was then that he suddenly remembered Noriko's words from a week before, as well, as everything else that had happened in the past year, and the words that they all said, the courage and compassion that they all showed.

- "_So it's okay for you to pose as the star of your own tragedy and cry all day?_" –

- "_She's probably gotten sick and tired of crying._" -

- "_Just go on crying forever then, you brat!_" –

His tears finally beginning to stop, he raised his arms to stare at his trembling hands as if he didn't recognize them. '_Mom…_'

- "_She knows what it means to be strong, just like your father did._" -

Finally, he remembered Kaiza's words from so long ago, the first time they'd met.

- "_If it's truly important to you, you gotta protect it with your own two hands, even at the cost of your own life!_" -

Finally, he raised his arm to wipe away his tears on the sleeve of his shirt. '_They're all so incredible, so cool, so strong…_' he stood clenching his fists, '_Will I…will I also be able to become strong…Dad…?_'

He rushed to where the door used to be, chasing after the mercenaries that had captured his mom. "Wait!"

Interrupted in their journey back to Gato, they turned to look at the boy who was no glaring at them. "Huh? It's that kid again."

"Inari!" Tsunami called out in concern.

"Get – get away from my mom!" he screamed. '_I can…!_' he gave out a loud battle cry as he charged at the two men holding his mother hostage.

"Geez," one of them scoffed, "What a stupid kid." They both took ahold of their weapons, prepared to draw.

"Cut him."

"Sure,"

"Inari!" the two blades flashed and the child's striped bucket hat floated to the ground, untouched. Three pieces of a generic log soon followed.

The two men's eyes widened as the sound of a distinctly female yawn sounded from behind them, followed by a sigh. "Can't you guys be quieter?" a girl's voice asked. "I was trying to sleep."

Inari looked up at the blonde girl in surprise, "Noriko!" he exclaimed.

"But I suppose this isn't the time to be sleeping," she continued idly. Looking down at the boy she had just saved, his mother unconscious beside him, Noriko gave him a small, bright, smile and said, "You did well though Inari, I'll take it from here."

"Well, well, if it isn't one of those loser ninja Tazuna hired," one of them said scornfully as he eyed the girl dressed only in a white sleeping yukata with no apparent weapons, though she had somehow found the time to tie her hitai-ate around her neck.

"Will you be all right?" Inari asked worriedly.

Suddenly there were two long steel senbon needles gripped delicately between the three middle fingers of each of her hands. "Yeah." She said lightly, not even glancing at the charging mercenaries. "Don't worry about it."

Then she turned her attention back to the incoming men. Her hand moving faster than Inari could see, two of the needles suddenly flew between the two, them instinctively dodging to either side. As they continued to dash forward, swing their swords in ungraceful arcs as they did so, one of them said, "Heh, like that'll work against us."

But then Noriko was suddenly gone, and her voice came from the space she had created between the two. "Idiots." She said, even as she drove her two remaining senbon outwards and deep into the rib cages of each samurai, killing them almost instantly.

As they slumped forward to collapse on the ground, Noriko created a couple Kage Bunshin to handle the clean up. The she turned back to Inari. "You know, you may not be such a brat after all," she commented, her long hair fluttering around her body.

Inari looked up at her with wide eyes, a flush filling his cheeks as she continued, "Actually, you may just be pretty strong." As she said this one of her hands rose to ruffle his hair in a friendly manner.

As she removed her hand from his hair, tears began to fall from his eyes, and he furiously wiped them away. "Damn it…" he said, chocking the words out past the tears. "I decided that I wasn't going to cry anymore!" He said furiously. "Now you're going to call me a crybaby or something…" he trailed off.

"What are you talking about?" Noriko asked.

"Huh?" he returned, surprised, as he looked back up at Noriko.

She gave him a soft smile as she tucked her hands into their opposite sleeves, her eyes curving into happy slits. "It's alright to cry when you're happy."

'_Noriko…_' he thought as he began to cry furiously.

.-.

Less than five minutes later found Noriko fully dressed as she spoke to Inari again. "If they've attacked here than the bridge is probably also in danger." She told him seriously. "I'll be leaving a few clones around, just in case, but you can take care of your mother, right?" she asked, glancing at the still unconscious woman.

"Yup." He said proudly, "Leave it to me!"

"I will then," she returned, a bit bemused by the boy's mood swings. "I'll be going now; see ya later!" and she was gone, leaving the boy to stare at the place she had occupied only a second ago, small, fading wisps of smoke marking her departure.

.-.

**Back at the bridge…**

Kakashi panted harshly, his Sharingan, though half blinded by the chakra filled mist, still spinning hypnotically in its socket. Ever since Zabuza had increased the intensity of his hidden mist technique, he had been able to land less and less hits on the man.

Ever since those mirrors had formed around Sasuke, things had taken a turn for the worse, to say the least. Sasuke was trapped by the last wielder of the Hyouton Kekkai Genkai, and Shikamaru was separated from him in this mist. Noriko was back at the house, probably still asleep, so he couldn't count on back up from there either.

Sensing movement from behind, he just barely dodged another strike from Zabuza's immense blade. Just as quickly as he struck, he vanished back into the mist again, and his Sharingan was unable to track the movement in the charka rich environment.

Standing, he carefully calmed his pulse, panicking in such a situation was the worst thing he could do, and he knew that. It had been a long time since he'd fought someone of this caliber though, and the stakes resting on him surviving, and winning, this fight were just as high.

'_Think, Kakashi… What would he be going after?_' His eyes widened in realization as he spun around, turning in the direction of his client. '_Oh no…_'

.-.

Zabuza slowly melted out of the mist, approaching his trembling target from behind. He took a step closer, and then involuntarily froze, unable to move another inch.

From the other side of Tazuna, a young voice spoke, "**Kagemane no Jutsu**, success." He found his limbs moving without his permission as the other boy, the one he had written off as even less of a threat than the other two, mirrored his movements.

Just as they stopped moving Kakashi appeared out of the mist, unintentionally catching Zabuza in between them in an involuntary pincer maneuver. Finally recognizing the boy as a member of that shadow wielding clan, he began to spike his chakra, forcing it into his muscles in an attempt to move.

Shikamaru winced as he felt his control of the technique falter. Turning his eyes to his sensei, he said, "Hurry up Kakashi-sensei. I can't hold him like this for much longer." Kakashi immediately responded to the urging, and was beside Zabuza in a blink.

Just as the shadow released the man the jounin-sensei stabbed at the missing-nin with a clean kunai. The force of the blow carried both combatants back into the mist, Zabuza just barely avoiding being gutted by his opponent as his blood splattered over Kakashi's arm.

Judging the distance from his student to be enough, Kakashi finally withdrew, keeping a careful hold on the bloody kunai, an idea brewing in the back of his head.

.-.

Noriko appeared with a soundless puff of smoke in the tree line nearest to the bridge. Quickly finding the most advantageous position to see the expanse of the almost completed structure from, she closed her eye and lifted the limitations she had placed on her senses to scout out the status of the ongoing battle located there.

Like most demons, kitsune, even when holding a human form for an indefinite period of time, have highly advanced senses. Most young kitsune, much like their mortal counterparts, are born almost completely deprived of senses. Over the course of their maturation they slowly become so advanced that just about everything around them is detected with a clarity that would be unbearable to a normal human.

When Noriko had been_ changed_ by Arisa, one of the things the fox had not taken into account was how disorientating, and even painful, her new senses would be to her. Eventually the former Kyuubi had just placed barriers in the young girl's mind that protected her against the overwhelming onslaught of information and feelings. Over the course of the past six years Noriko had adjusted to the change, but when she was not fighting or in need of the acute senses, she put limits on them, lowering her senses to the same level as that of a mortal animal.

Opening her eye once more, the preteen blinked slowly, her vision shifting slowly so that the mist did not inhibit her unduly, the pupil lengthening into a feral slit. Her ears, perking at the abrupt sound of clashing metal, had lengthened into subtle points hidden by her long hair. Narrowing her eyes in concentration, she focused her attention on her jounin-sensei, who currently appeared to be at a disadvantage against Zabuza.

Keeping her attention on the missing-nin, she wasn't too surprised to soon see him going for the bridge-builder instead, completely disregarding the presence of her other teammate. She smirked slightly at his carelessness; that was a mistake.

Sure enough, Shikamaru soon had the other shinobi caught in his shadow, holding him captive even as Kakashi realized what was going on and appeared out of the mist. Even through the mist she could smell his surprise on the wind, but without much prompting from his student the Copy-nin soon had Zabuza away from the client again and bleeding from a large gash in his side.

As they faced off against each other once more, their position apparently reversed, Noriko caught her sensei's movements as he carefully adjusted his grip on the bloody kunai, but didn't make any move to switch weapons or wipe off some of the blood.

She smirked again at this, a notion of what the jounin might be thinking taking root. Confident that the Copy-nin had his battle well in hand, Noriko turned her attention to the final pair of boys and her eyes widened in shock.

Mirrors of ice made a dome of reflections around Sasuke, a familiar masked boy looking down on his opponent from each one. Narrowing her eyes to focus even more, she smiled slightly at the sight of red eyes peering from her teammate's face. It seemed he had finally awakened his Sharingan.

Even as she watched the false hunter-nin _moved_, the extremities of his body blurring slightly even to her eyes. Senbon shot down at her injured teammate from every angle, and she watched with a wide eye as Sasuke finally went down under the onslaught.

In mere seconds she was at the side of the boy, checking his pulse and removing senbon with care. She sighed with relief as Sasuke began to breathe again, glad that he wasn't dead. She may have had to kill her new friend otherwise.

It was then that she remembered the still standing opponent that now had her surrounded and slowly stood; turning to the mirror she felt the most chakra coming from.

"Hello again, Haku-kun."

.-.

Haku's eyes, cold with resolve, hardened even further as the senbon needles left his hand. He rapidly moved to the others mirrors, repeating the action, the rain of steel becoming almost seamless as he did so. Just as quickly as it had begun the attack ended and he returned to his original position in one the mirrors of the middle level that was directly opposite of his opponent.

Even as he did so his eyes widened in shock as a familiar form practically flew between the spaces in his mirrors to come to an abrupt standstill beside the unmoving body of his younger opponent. He continued to watch as the young girl checked her teammate's pulse and then began to remove the long needles piercing his body in numerous non vital areas.

The silence of the space around them was so complete that he actually heard her breathe a soft sigh of relief as the boy's chest began to rise and fall again. Then her shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly and she stood, slowly turning to face his actual physical position in the mirrors.

Then she broke the strained silence between them. "Hello again, Haku-kun."

His forced indifference broke at the simple greeting, his eyes, hidden behind the faceless mask, softening in remembrance. Ever since their second meeting, the day after their first conversation, she had always greeted him like that. Landing soundlessly in the small and familiar clearing, as he turned to her she would give that small, true smile and say those exact same words as she tilted her head in slight shyness.

Quickly shifting to a ground level mirror, Haku stepped out of it, his foot landing in a small puddle beneath it. Raising a hand, he gripped one side of the mask and slowly removed it. His eyes looking down, caught between a strange sort of nervousness and shame, he replied, "Hello again, Noriko-chan." His tone much sadder then the last time she had heard those words, no soft smile lighting up his face.

Gazing seriously at her equally blank face, the boy continued, "So you knew all along then." He said quietly.

"Yes," she returned, her face softening at the boy's light and familiar tone. "But I still don't understand… Why do you fight for someone like Zabuza?"

His eyes blanked out for a brief second, as if he were remembering something, then he shook his head and answered, "Can you really not understand? The pain of not having a dream…not being needed by anyone…the pain of simply living?" he asked, staring at Noriko with an emptiness that was frighteningly familiar to the blonde. She could still remember days when the same pain clouded her own eyes.

"What are you trying to say?" she asked, almost afraid, but not quite understanding.

Letting the hand holding his pristine white mask drop to his side, Haku tilted is head slightly and elaborated. "A very long time ago, I had other people who were very dear to me. My parents… I was born in a small, snowy village in Mizu no Kuni." He began, his eyes clouding with memories. "I was happy; my parents were very kind people. But as I grew up, and began to learn the ways of this world, something happened."

"Something…" Noriko repeated softly. "What?"

Raising a trembling hand before himself, Haku continued, "This blood of mine…" but soon trailed off.

"Blood?" Noriko said, repeating Haku's words once more. Then she shook her head, beginning to get frustrated. "So what happened?"

"My father killed my mother, and then he tried to kill me." He said starkly, eyes blank with remembered pain as he lowered his hand once more.

Noriko's eyes widened and a startled "What…" emerged breathlessly from her throat.

"The country of Water was ruled by endless civil wars, and eventually those with 'Advanced Blood' came to be hated. Bloodlines with special abilities, such as mine, became feared," He explained. "Because of those same abilities, clans with such special bloodlines were used as weapons in countless battles. As a result, those clans were then blamed for bringing misfortune and war to the country. After the major wars ended clans had to hide the truth of their own blood, and for those who were discovered, only death awaited."

Haku cast his eyes downward as he continued, the many ice mirrors surrounding them beginning to break apart as Haku's emotions unsettled his control of the technique. "My mother was from one of those bloodlines, but before I realized what I had done, I had killed him. My own father..!"

His face twisted with the remembrance of old pain, the technique surrounding them finally broke down as he began to speak again. "It was then, when I was alone, that I realized the most painful thing. That in this world I was a person who was unwanted."

At these words Noriko's eye widen in shock and only one thought raced through her head, '_He… He's the same as me._'

Raising his gaze to meet Noriko's shocked one, he tried to make Noriko understand, "You said that you wanted to become the leader of your village and have everyone acknowledge you. If someone who acknowledged you to the bottom of their heart appeared, wouldn't they become the most important person to you?" he asked.

Noriko's eye softened in agreement, the faces of those who had acknowledged her racing through her mind. '_Arisa-kaa-san, Iruka-sensei, Saru-jiji…_'

"Zabuza-sama took me in, knowing that I was of an advanced bloodline. This blood that everyone hated, he desired it…" he said, a smile crossing his face as he did so.

- _"From today on, your blood is mine. Follow me!"_ -

"I was so happy…" he trailed off, a single tear trailing from his eyes before he wiped it away.

- _"Haku, unfortunately, I am abandoning this country. But one day I shall return, and take control of this land! What I need now isn't consolation or encouragement. What I really need is…"_

"_I know. Please don't worry, I am Zabuza-sama's weapon; please keep me by your side as your tool."_

"_Heh… Good kid…" _–

Silence filled the space between the two, Haku words surrounding them with a strained silence that neither was all that eager to break as both reflected on their pasts. At last, it was Noriko who broke the silence. "You and I…" she said softly, raising her cloth covered hand before her and immediately snagging Haku's attention. "We're even more alike than I had originally thought."

Raising her visible eye the meet Haku's the girl continued, "I noticed it on the day we first met. That kind of pain scars you, and anyone who has been through the same kind of thing can recognize it, if they look. It was part of why I came back to that clearing every day."

Haku's eyes widened at her words but he couldn't help but agree. The reason he had come back, the reason he hadn't told Zabuza-sama of their meetings; wasn't it because he had found something familiar in the small blonde girl's gaze?

Slowly pulling back her sleeve, the girl continued to speak, "On the day I was born, something terrible happened to my village. Though I was a part of the solution to the problem, all of the hate the villagers held for the… 'problem' was reflected on me. And I didn't, no, couldn't understand. By the time I was four I had realized it though. I was different, and my existence… it was unneeded, and unwanted."

"One day though, on the anniversary of that tragedy, their hatred exploded, and they took it all out on me." Pinching the finger of one of her gloves the girl slipped her slim black glove from her hand and extended the limb for Haku to see. "Unlike you though, it took me awhile to get around to killing them."

Haku's eyes widened even further at the sight of the pale, but entirely vicious scar driven through her hand. "That..!"

"Ah." She made a small sound of confirmation, cutting off the boy almost before he could speak and pulling the glove back on as she did so. "Despite what you might think, that attack led to quite a few improvements in my life, but some things… They leave behind scars that last forever."

Just as Haku was about to reply, most likely to agree with the statement, the static of potent electricity exploded through the mist. Haku's eyes widened at the sight of the mist clearing, and they both turned in the direction of the sound of a thousand screeching birds.

* * *

_**Today's New Jutsu**_**:**

**Sensatsu Suisho**

_A Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death_

In order to utilize this technique, the user gathers water from the air and surrounding environment into a thousand long needles, forming them in a sort of cage around the target. The user then directs them at the target at high speeds, leaping backwards before impact so they won't get caught in the crossfire. While the needles do surround a target from all sides, they don't appear directly above the target, creating an escape route.

Haku is able to perform this jutsu with one-handed seals, allowing him to pin an opponent's arm and attack while they cannot use any techniques themselves.

A low B-class technique.

**Hyouton Hijutsu: Makyo Hyosho **

_Ice Release Secret Technique: Demonic Crystal Ice Mirrors_

A Hijutsu (or secret technique) of the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai, it creates a dome of twenty-one mirrors made out of ice to entrap an opponent. Twelve remain at ground level, eight are placed above the first twelve and angled toward the ground, and the final mirror is above the rest and facing the ground. The user can then enter one of the mirrors and instantly transport to any of the other mirrors. While moving about they can bombard the opponent with attacks at very high speeds, such that the rest of the world appears to be moving in slow motion in comparison. Also, all the mirrors show a reflection of the user, so it is very difficult for the opponent to discern which mirror they are in.

If the mirror the user is in happens to be broken, they can leap out of one of the fragments to continue their attack or move to another mirror. The technique requires a large amount of chakra to utilize, so the user's movements are likely to become progressively slower the longer the jutsu is maintained. Though they are made from ice, the mirrors are resistant to fire techniques and the cold which emanates from them is enough to even cause snow to fall.

The only known user of this bloodline is Haku and as such this attack is currently limited to him and him alone.

A high A to low S-ranked technique when utilized to its fullest extent.

* * *

~ Author's Note ~

Chapter 13….was a pain in the ass. I'm sorry, but between a combination of writer's block and procrastination, this is coming out a lot later than I had originally intended. It turned out better than I had expected, considering the completely avoidable delays, but I still feel a bit iffy about the final result.

On a completely unrelated note though (in other words: **Spoiler Alert**) have you people read the most recent chapter of Naruto yet? I finally got around to doing so and the entire thing was taken up by the introduction of the previous Seven Swordsmen (as introduced by_ Suigetsu_! What the hell is the point in that again?). I mean honestly, half of the things they were throwing around didn't even seem like real swords; either that or they didn't seem to have one at all! (The only part that might have salvaged it was the now known effect of Zabuza's blade, because a sword that repairs itself using the blood of your enemies is just plain badass.)

Added on top of that is the plain _fact_ that **They! Are! Dead! **Kishimoto's recent obsession with bringing the dead back to life is really starting to creep me out! It's almost kind of sad really. About every time I read one of the most recent chapters I feel like crying at what Kishimoto is doing to the series, but I just can't stop hoping that he'll fix it somehow! *inset mournful sigh here*

On yet another note, Bleach seems to be looking up though… (End **Spoiler Alert**)

*another sigh*…Sorry 'bout long rant but I really needed to get that off my chest. Back to the original point; I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and reviews are a bit more than just welcome. Also, I'll try to finish up the Wave arc in the next couple of chaps, and I hope to have the next chapter posted before Tuesday.

'Till the next Author's Note then…

~ Aljan Moonfire ~


	15. Chapter 14: The Death of Gato

_**Aljan Moonfire does not own Naruto, in any way, shape, or form...**_

"Speaking."

'_Thinking._'

"**Demonic Speaking**."

'_**D******__e_monic Thinking.'

"**_Demonic Mental Conversation._**"

- _Flashback and/or Dream _-

"**Jutsu**" (English Translation)

.-. - scene break

* * *

_**Chapter 14 – The Death of Gato**_

* * *

**Five Minutes Earlier…**

Tucking the bloody kunai back into the kunai pouch at his hip, Kakashi adjusted his grip and began to speak, "Can you hear me Zabuza?" he asked. He didn't get an answer, but he was sure the missing-nin had heard him anyway, and continued to speak. "You seem to think that I've survived in this world only thanks to the Sharingan." He commented, stalling.

"I am a former member of the Anbu Corps. The kind of ninja I am… It doesn't depend solely on copying another's skills." Glaring forward as his hands moved, he continued. "I'll be sure to show you my own jutsu." He declared.

Hidden in the mist, but still easily within earshot, Zabuza frowned, ignoring the pain in his side. '_What is that monkey bastard up too..?_'

Pulling a plain scroll from one of the sections for such things in his vest, Kakashi flipped it into the air with his left hand as his right dabbed some blood from a freely bleeding injury. Skillfully rolling the scroll out, he traced a long line of blood down the center of it, uncaringly crossing over the many characters that decorated the inside.

As he did so Kakashi thought, '_I need to finish this quickly… if that masked boy is as skilled as I suspect Sasuke won't last much longer…_' and then he spoke, loudly enough to be sure that his opponent heard him, "Zabuza, neither of us has time to waste," he said, drying as much the blood as he could with a few quick flips of the scroll.

As he finished and snapped the scroll shut, sending it spinning into the air before catching it, he continued, "This might not really suit your style, but let's end the fun and finish this now!" Deftly securing the scroll between his fingers as he formed a tiger seal around it, he closed his dark grey eye, leaving his Sharingan to spin alone, glaring at the world.

Ignoring the pain, Zabuza replied, adjusting his grip on his weapon, "Humph, sounds interesting. What _can _you do in this situation? Show me, Kakashi!"

Narrowing his eyes, Kakashi quickly gathered his chakra, the mist surrounding him thickening as he did so. He rapidly flipped through a number of hand signs, somehow keeping a secure grip on the scroll through it all, and then, crouching, slammed the scroll into the ground. As he did so the words echoed through his head, '_**Kuchiyose: Doton: Tsuiga no Jutsu!**_' (Summoning: Earth Release: Tracking Fangs Technique)

The ground around him rumbled for a moment, before spreading out in different directions. As it did so, Zabuza spoke, eyes closed against the blank whiteness of his own jutsu. "Whatever you do it's useless; you can't figure out where I am. But I know exactly where you are. Kakashi, you can't escape this technique."

Just as he was about to speak again, he noticed the rumbling coming from underground and looked around in slight bewilderment, searching for the source of the sound. '_Wha_-' before he could even finish the thought the ground beneath him erupted in a geyser of cement and fur as sharp canine teeth sunk into every one of his limbs, completely immobilizing him.

Less than fifty meters away, Shikamaru glanced around cautiously, '_What was that sound?_'

Kakashi on the other hand just smirked a bit smugly as he rose to his feet. "If ears and eyes won't work, then just use your nose." He commented. The mist began to clear, revealing less than twenty meters between the two jounin as Kakashi calmly approached.

He continued to speak as Zabuza winced and staggered slightly, the massive bulldog that had its teeth around the back of his neck not helping his balance at all. "That's what happens when you have your eyes shut in the mist. This summoning is used especially for tracking down opponents. The reason I purposely let you injure me, and injured you in turn, is quite simple."

"You are now soaked in the scent of blood, and my cute little nin-dogs' sense of smell exceeds that of all other nin-hounds. You are the one trapped in my technique." He finished, now no more than a few feet from his captive enemy. "The mist has cleared." He commented leisurely as he raised his hand, cracking his fingers, before turning his attention back to the harshly panting man. "And your future is death."

Zabuza's eyes narrowed at the familiar words, and he scoffed, having heard them before. "My future is death?" he repeated disbelievingly, and then glared. "I'm sick of your bullshit."

"Don't be foolish." Kakashi returned mildly, confidently. "There's nothing you can do in this situation. Your death is certain." They glared at each other for a moment before Kakashi continued. "Zabuza, you went too far." He finally said.

"Your ambition was too great. When you abandoned Kirigakure to become a missing-nin your story reached even Konoha. Both your attempted coup 'de tat and assassination of the Mizukage failed." He continued, unerringly getting Zabuza's full attention even as he began to gather a massive amount of chakra. "Then you needed money for revenge, but you also needed to avoid the hunter-nin. That's probably why you attached yourself to scum like Gato."

As he paused in his words he braced himself, flipping through a mere three hand seals purposefully slowly. Oushi – Usagi – Saru.* The aura of invisible chakra around the jounin-sensei suddenly became charged, small bolts of electricity surrounding his body and clearly focusing on his cupped hand. Leaning over it, Kakashi focused even further as his hand began to overflow with blue-white lightning. Soon the controlled electricity formed over his hand like a glove, giving the illusion that he held a flame of lighting in his hand.

"**Raikiri!**" (Lightning Edge)

Zabuza watched on with wide eyes, physically feeling the energy the attack was giving off crackling against his skin even from such a distance. '_What? That chakra… It's actually visible around his hand!_'

Standing up straight again, Kakashi held the dangerous technique out to the side and continued to speak. "You are too dangerous." He declared. "Tazuna-san, who you're trying to kill, is this country's 'courage'. The bridge he seeks to build is its 'hope'." He glared again, leaning forward. "Your ambition sacrifices too many people. That's not how a shinobi acts."

Zabuza scoffed once again, sneering at his opponent. "I don't give a damn! I fight for my own ideals, and that shall continue!"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes once more, glaring at the missing-nin even as he spoke, "I'll say it once more then…" he stated seriously.

Slightly surprised by the calm response, Zabuza raised an eyebrow, "Hm?"

"Surrender. Your future is death."

.-.

Haku, previously preoccupied by Noriko's story, stiffened in shock as the sound of a large, chakra-intensive, and clearly lightning natured, attack screeched through the mists surrounding them. Then he took a double take, reassessing his surroundings. The mist created by Zabuza-sama's technique was beginning to disperse!

Quickly bring his hands up to form a familiar seal, he jerked with surprise as Noriko grabbed his hands, stopping the motion cold. Then she spoke. "I'm sorry, Haku-kun."

Just as he was about to ask what for his vision began to fade, the sharp pain he had somehow missed at the back of his neck making itself belatedly known. '_Zabuza-sama…_'

The last thing he saw before he fell completely into unconsciousness was a ferally slit, icy blue eye staring apologetically back at him.

.-.

Kakashi dashed forward, intent on the meeting of his lightning covered hand and Zabuza's chest, certain of his victory. Angling himself slightly away, he stabbed forward as if he were holding a real blade, unerringly closing in on his target.

As such, it most definitely came as a surprise when, instead of the sadly familiar feeling of shoving his arm through an opponent's chest, his Raikiri hit cement instead, a familiar booted heel deflecting the attack downward. The small explosion that followed was abruptly cut off as Kakashi stopped channeling chakra into the technique.

Long blonde strands of hair floated into Kakashi's line of sight as Zabuza looked on in shock. "Noriko?" the jounin-sensei asked, confused.

Shaking off his surprise, Zabuza smirked. "My future is death? You're wrong again, Kakashi." The small girl in front of him then shot him a short glare filled with more ki that he himself could have mustered on such short notice. He shut up.

Satisfied by his reaction, Noriko removed her foot from Kakashi's arm, allowing him to stand. Still confused and rubbing his arm where he could feel a new bruise forming, Kakashi glanced down at his student, somehow unsurprised to see her. The he asked seriously, "What are you doing, Noriko?"

"There is no longer a need for us to fight each other." Was all she said as Shikamaru and Tazuna approached as well, the mist lifting completely from the bridge.

Both of the elite ninja frowned at that, though Zabuza was the one to speak, "What the hell do you mean by that?" he growled.

She gestured to the other side of the bridge, where the rest of it would be completed, just as a slim black cane impacted the surface with a sharp tap. "Heh, so what's going on, Zabuza. Seems like you're getting your ass kicked." Said a smug, arrogant voice.

It was Gato, and at least one hundred mercenaries were gathered at his back. "Gato…" growled Zabuza, his erstwhile employer the last person he wanted to see right now. "What are you doing here? And what's with all those men?"

Shikamaru and Kakashi, carefully watching the exchange, frowned in understanding. '_So, he's…_'

Gato just chuckled and smirked arrogantly. "The plan has changed." He declared smugly. "Well, actually, I planned to do this from the beginning. Zabuza, I'm going to have you killed here."

"What..?" came Zabuza's soft and incredulous response, a deep anger boiling beneath the word as he ignored the canine summons that continued to hold him in their grip.

Continuing to smirk, oblivious, Gato continued. "I never planned on paying you at all. Hiring normal ninja from villages is expensive, and they may just betray me in the end. So I get missing-nin, like you, that are easy to take care of. I then let the ninja battle it out and, once they're weakened, kill them off with numbers. It doesn't even cost me anything." The short man grinned, "Good plan, don't you think?"

Gato got marginally more serious as he continued his monologue. "The only problem in the plan was you, Zabuza. But now? The Devil of the Hidden Mist? Heh, what a joke. If you ask me, you're just a cute little baby devil." He scoffed.

The mercenaries at his back obviously agreed. "We can kill you easily now!" they called.

"Kakashi, I'm sorry. This fight is over." Zabuza finally said. "I no longer have a reason to go after Tazuna. I have no reason to fight you anymore."

Kakashi looked at him for a moment before shutting his Sharingan eye and agreeing. "Ah. You're right." As he said this he gave Noriko an unfathomable look out the side of his eye, releasing his summons. The dogs soon disappeared in short, almost simultaneous, puffs of smoke. Zabuza stood up straight, turning to glare properly at his, now former, employer.

Gato, ignoring the exchange, strutted arrogantly over to where Haku had collapsed, drawing Zabuza's attention to the boy's motionless body as well. Then he said angrily, a sneer on his lips, "Oh yeah, I owe this one." Looking down at the motionless body, he said, "You squeezed my arm until it broke."

He poked the boy with the toe of his shoe. When there was no response, he smirked. "Heh, he's dead." Before any of the ninja could react, the short man had pulled back his foot slightly and kicked the motionless body, sending Haku's head rocking back.

Anything else he might have said or done was stopped by a slim, but absurdly strong hand wrapping around his throat, easily lifting him off the ground. "Don't. Touch him." Was all Noriko said, intense ki rolling off her in waves.

Gato just about wet himself, and before any of the mercenaries or the other ninja could do anything she built up a large amount of chakra, twisting it around herself like a second skin as a cold mist rose around her. Narrowing her visible eye in anger as her pupil became silted once more; she spoke, the soft words easily reaching the ears of those around her. "**Daiichi Yuki: Kohri Naderu.**" (First Snow: Icy Caress)

Her observers watched on in shock as small tendrils of ice slowly spread from her hand, quickly picking up speed and enveloping the tyrant in a solid casing of ice as he screamed in horror. Noriko, smirking at the ugly ice statue, roughly threw what had once been Gato to the side, where he shattered into countless shards of ice on impact.

The ninja looked on at the seemingly impossible feat in awe; unaware that Noriko had the Ice Release bloodline. Glancing out the corner of her eye at her sensei, Noriko swore lightly to herself, cursing her impulses. She'd clearly have a lot of explaining to do later. Turning slightly, she gave them a weak smile.

"Noriko…" Kakashi muttered under his breath.

Tazuna on the other hand was in complete shock, staring blankly at the shards of ice that had once been the man that had sentenced his son-in-law to death. Gato… Gato was dead. Ever so slowly a grin spread over his face. It faded rather abruptly though as the mercenaries also got over their shock and began to yell and jeer at the small blonde girl that had freed so suddenly freed his country, belatedly alerting him to another threat.

"Hey! What the hell!" one of them shouted.

"Damn ninja, you killed our meal ticket!" yelled another.

"You guys are dead!"

"Now were gonna have to pillage this city," called out yet another, "and take anything of value!"

"Yeah!" the rest agreed, mob mentality taking over.

"Damn… this is bad…" Kakashi muttered, nervous at the over whelming numbers while he was so low on chakra. Tazuna and Shikamaru agreed silently, their skin taking on a sweaty pallor. Even Zabuza looked a bit intimidated, his injuries still bleeding everywhere.

Noriko was the only one completely unperturbed by small army rushing at them. As she was already before her companions, all she did was step forward a bit more and say, "You guys stay back."

"What?" Shikamaru managed to choke out. "You can't be serious!"

She just gave him a bland look as she began to gather chakra again. "I don't want you to be caught up in this." Was her calm response.

Wrapping massive amounts of ice chakra into her left hand, Noriko bit her lip in concentration as she molded it to her purpose. The incoming attackers were far too worked up to notice the impending threat, and were almost upon her when she finally crouched slightly to bring her softly glowing hand in contact with the bridge before her.

"**Daikyuu Yuki: Hyouden.**"(Ninth Snow: Eternal Field of Ice)

As soon as she touched the bridge time seemed to stop for a moment, as if it were holding it's breath in anticipation. Then, slowly at first, then immeasurably faster, ice began to spread from her fingers, enveloping the bridge in front of her in glowing ice that soon entrapped every mercenary there in the same eternal cold as she had Gato, just on a much larger scale.

As soon as every man in front of her was completely encased in her unbreakable ice Noriko slowly stood, breathing heavily from the massive expenditure of energy. '_Now to finish it,_' she thought. Raising her other hand, she shook back her sleeve and snapped her fingers. At the apparent signal, each of the ice sculptures before her made harsh cracking sounds as they fractured into millions of tiny shards, turning the bridge before her into a veritable field of ice shards. There was a reason she'd called the technique 'Hyouden'.

Turning towards her team, client, and former enemy, she sweat dropped at their completely shocked expressions. Bulging eyes, dropped yaws, blank stares as they tried to comprehend what they were seeing. She sighed in exasperation, slightly annoyed by their reactions. Walking up to her sensei, she waved her gloved hand before his face, trying to bring him back down to reality. "Kakashi-sensei? Anyone home?" she asked, a mocking edge coloring her voice.

At the sound of her voice the ninja finally snapped out of it, and their regard of her became extremely mixed and unsure. Zabuza just took in the effects of the small girl's jutsu unbelievingly, he had never heard of anyone having that much control over ice; even Haku couldn't have done this!

Shikamaru and Kakashi on the other hand had similar reactions, attempting to put this together with their own observations of the girl to come up with a realistic approximation of her strength. This, her performance in the bell test, the spar with Kakashi, all they had gleaned about her training… it was coming to form a picture of a genin that might be at least approaching Kage-level. And she was only twelve at that! How strong would she be once fully grown?

Shikamaru immediately resolved to never piss her off. Dealing with it would be absolutely _beyond _troublesome. He had a sinking feeling he may eventually have to deal with it anyway as long as he stayed on the same team with her though… damn.

Kakashi on the other hand, was thinking more about what the Sandaime had told him after he'd passed his team. ''_Noriko has, honestly, been ready for the chuunin exams since before she graduated from the academy two years ago.' Well, if that was then, then how much has she grown since?'_ he wondered. Then he gave an invisible wince. '_And if I'm supposed to be her sensei, what the hell am I going to teach her now that I have some idea of her skill level?'_

Thankfully, before they could bombard her with any questions, they were distracted by two almost simultaneous groans as Sasuke and Haku finally joined them in the land of the living.

.-.

**The Next Night…**

Kakashi almost groaned in annoyance as he took in the contents of the safe. More paperwork. Reaching forward, he pulled out a thick sheaf of the papers and began to flip through them, attempting to get an idea of their contents. The bold kanji and numbers standing out against their white background gave him a good idea as to their purpose though.

Swiftly separating them into two piles, he turned back to the high quality desk behind him and placed the slimmer sheaves of paper on the sealing scroll spread out there. They soon disappeared in almost simultaneous puffs of smoke and he turned back to the still full safe.

Just how much of an idiot was Gato? Having precise details of all of his conquests and accounts just lying around like this was leading him to believe the short man had been even stupider than he'd thought. '_Well, maybe they weren't just lying around,_' he quickly backtracked, '_but stuffed in a safe that I was able to find and crack in less than four seconds is just as bad really._'

Just thinking of the man again led him to think back on the way he'd died, and that opened the door to another set of problems that he really didn't want to deal with just yet. Noriko, even after he'd managed to get an explanation out of her, was even more of an enigma than before.

After Sasuke and that masked boy – Haku, he thought his name was – had woken up, just about every able bodied man and woman (even child, he supposed, seeing as Inari had been the one leading them) in the city had shown up, awkwardly waving about makeshift weapons and previously discarded farm tools in a decidedly intimidating manner.

Not that they'd really done anything at that point, seeing what Noriko had done to that mob… he almost winced at the thought, wondering what those civilians had thought, seeing them all standing around in front of a spontaneous ice field. Then the confusion had passed, right around the time Tazuna told them that Gato was dead, as well as who had killed him.

Pausing in his continued work for a moment he gave an invisible smirk at the thought. Noriko had been proclaimed the hero of Nami no Kuni, and her chagrin at the overwhelming gratitude and praise was obvious, at least to him; he was pretty sure Shikamaru and that Haku boy saw it as well though.

But Noriko… his estimation of her skill level (at least after that 'Hyouden' technique) being right around Kage-level had been even more correct than he'd thought. From what she told him, as of six months ago at least, she was perfectly capable of sparing evenly with the Hokage, even when he's going all out (except for those instant death or double suicide techniques, of course. His face fault at_ that_ nonchalant addition had been of nearly epic proportions.), and wining.

Her skill level was both a boon and a curse at this point really. On one hand, he had no idea what he could teach her. She clearly knew just about every chakra control exercise out there and had even started to invent her own to manage her abnormally high chakra levels. Her techniques showed him that she had a clear mastery of elemental manipulation as well, and her skill in other areas was just as impressive, considering.

On the other she could easily help him bring her teammates up to speed, and he had no need to worry about her safety while on missions. He had also been unsure about the chuunin exams, despite the Hokage's reassurances, but with her on the team they'd get through the first two exams without a problem. In fact, they may just find them to be too easy.

Shaking his head slightly, he quickly rid it of thoughts of the future, focusing on the here and now for the moment. This follow up mission, with Noriko having taken care of the majority of the mercenaries at the bridge, was turning out to be more tedious than anything else.

The Sandaime's response to his report had been typical; he hadn't really been expecting further back up, considering, but it had been disappointing all the same. The Hokage had explained his reasons (and they _were_ reasonable, for what it's worth) but at the time the follow-up mission he'd been assigned had seemed almost impossible.

Raiding all of Gato's bases located in Wave and taking everything that might be of use to the village back with them; including a truly exorbitant amount of money. In hindsight though, the man knew of Noriko's true skill level and this kind of conclusion to the mission was probably well within his calculations.

Reaching back into the safe in an almost reflexive motion, Kakashi was jolted out of his ponderings as his hand met the bare bottom of the container. Pulling back, he glanced around the room, searching for any other irregularities he may have missed. Seeing none, he nodded to himself and came to the conclusion that he was done here. He quickly rolled the generic scroll back up and labeled it carefully.

Stepping over the limp body of the mercenary that had occupied the room before his entrance, he left the room, blurring out of sight as he moved quickly down the hall to where he'd left Noriko to seal up the more solid valuables Gato had left around his headquarters. When he found her a few minutes later she was back in the lower levels of the large house, just completing the sealing of his little treasure rooms.

Gato's base may have been impressive at one point in time. Now though, missing the mercenary guards that had populated it and almost abandoned, it had clearly seen better days. It turns out that though Gato had brought most of his more skilled mercenaries to the bridge with him, he had also left some of them behind to guard his bases as well.

Naturally having no idea what he had been up against, the limited protection from guards that were only loyal to his money might have backfired negatively on the deceased shipping tycoon, were he still alive. As it was though it just made it all the easier for them to raid and seal the bases without much difficulty.

The only thing that really opposed the swift clearing out of the bases was the captives that had been held in the lowest levels of the main base. Gato had apparently kept an even tighter hold on the country than they had originally known by taking just about every able-bodied woman from their mid-teens to mid-twenties and running a seemingly booming prostitution and slave trade.

Adding their testimony to the other illegal ventures he had just secured evidence of, and not much would be left of the man's money-making empire except the resulting funds; funds that would go towards the restoration of Nami no Kuni and the increase of Konoha's own finances. Naturally though, Gato had frequently chosen to flaunt his wealth in more obvious ways than bank account numbers and hired help.

Valuables and small treasures of relatively immense value had been bought by the man (who he now knew had been even richer than previously believed) and stored away in carefully arranged rooms, most likely for the sole purpose of showing off to business partners and guests. There were quite a few such rooms really; maybe he'd been compensating for something? Considering his size he wouldn't have been surprised, honestly…

Unobtrusively shaking himself out of his wandering thoughts, Kakashi turned his attention back to the scene before him. Noriko was crouched before him in the middle of the room, seemingly finishing the sealing of this particular room as she was just about the only thing larger than a matchstick left in it beside the scroll itself.

As the small puff of smoke before her dispersed into the air the girl frowned in thought, rolling up the now full scroll in a mechanical motion that emphasized her absent mindedness. Absently wondering what she was thinking so hardly on, Kakashi raised an eyebrow and spoke, "Noriko-chan?" he said questioningly.

He watched in faint amusement as she blinked, eyes clearing of thought as she registered his presence. His faint humor faded though as she showed little surprise at his appearance and just blinked calmly up at him. "Kakashi-sensei?" she returned.

"You done here?" he asked, rather eager to get this side-mission over with.

"Yeah." She replied, smoothly rising to her feet.

Nodding at her response, they both swiftly removed themselves from the room and were outside and on their way to Gato's last base (at least the last one left in Nami no Kuni) within moments. Jumping easily from tree branch to tree branch in practiced movements that were practically instinct, they ignored the muffled explosion that erupted behind them, engulfing the building they had just left in flames.

As they did so Noriko spoke up, catching Kakashi's attention without effort with the topic. "Are we going to do anything about Zabuza and Haku-kun?" she asked quietly.

"I'm not sure." He finally admitted after a few moments of silence. "They _are _technically missing-nin, but they aren't a danger to us, or our mission, at the moment." He paused in thought again before continuing, "I'd have to say that once they're healed they'll probably take off and we'll be unlikely to even see them again; it's most likely that we won't be doing anything at all really."

Noriko considered that for a moment, thoughtful. Then she glanced over at Kakashi, an unreadable look in her eye as she pushed off of another branch. "If I did something about that, would you object?" she asked softly.

Kakashi paused for a moment in their journey, Noriko following suit not even half a second later. "I suppose it depends on what that 'something' is." He said, watching Noriko closely, having a good idea of her intentions.

Noriko, knowing that he had probably already guessed her intended course of action as well just smiled.

"Good."

* * *

* - In other words: Ox – Rabbit – Monkey. It should be obvious, but these are the hand seals for the Raikiri technique.

* * *

_**Today's New Jutsu:**_

**Kuchiyose: Doton: Tsuiga no Jutsu**

_Summoning: Earth Release: Tracking Fangs Technique_

This jutsu allows Kakashi to summon his personal ninken (nin-dogs) to perform special tasks. After he marks an opponent with blood, Kakashi rolls out a scroll and smears his own blood across it. He then places it between his hands and makes the seals before slamming the scroll into the ground. The ninken are summoned from there and travel through the ground, following the scent of the blood. When the target is found, they erupt from the ground and hold down the opponent with their mouths.

Kakashi usually uses this to immobilize an opponent for his Raikiri or Chidori attacks. It is currently unique to him and him alone.

A B-rank offensive technique.

**Raikiri**

_Lightning Edge_

The Raikiri is an enhanced and concentrated form of the technique known as the Chidori. (If you don't already know what this technique is, the Chidori will have its own section here once it actually makes a viable appearance.)

This particular version of the technique gained its name after Kakashi split a bolt of lightning in two with it. Because the Chidori is already powerful enough on its own, the Raikiri requires better chakra control, which is exemplified in its appearance. (There is a very detailed description in the above chapter, in case you didn't notice)

It is a jutsu that is currently unique to Kakashi, seeing as he was the one who created it, and he has yet to teach it to anyone. Also, at this point in time, Kakashi is limited to using it no more than five times a day.

An S-ranked offensive technique.

**Daiichi Yuki: Kohri Naderu**

_First Snow: Icy Caress_

A jutsu unique to Noriko, it is her first true Ice technique. It utilizes no hand seals and operates through pure manipulation of wind and water chakra. By wrapping large amounts of wind and water chakra around the body, and most often focused in the hands, the user can incase anything they touch in a thick layer of ice. If the user wishes, they are even able to freeze the water that makes up over 75% of the human body, causing an almost instant death.

This jutsu can only be used on a single target, and causes the focus of the jutsu (usually a person) to resemble a statue of ice that shatters on impact. Needless to say, the full force of this technique should only be used on those that the user wishes to destroy utterly. On the other hand, the jutsu can also be used in less complete ways, causing severe frostbite and other, less invasive, injuries.

A Mid C to High A-ranked technique, depending on usage.

**Daikyuu Yuki: Hyouden **

_Ninth Snow: Eternal Field of Ice_

Clearly an advanced form of the **Daiichi Yuki: Kohri Naderu**, it causes ice to spread out over everything connected to the place the user touches, though the specific target area can be controlled by the user. Capable of instantly freezing anything within a mile's radius, it is one of Noriko's more powerful Ice techniques, and has truly earned the name 'Eternal Field of Ice', especially as the ice will not melt until the user wills it. Also, anything organic that is caught within the jutsu can shatter into countless pieces on a predetermined signal, usually the snap of the fingers or something like that.

Taking up at truly vast amount of chakra and control, it was made by and is currently unique to Noriko, and requires no hand seals.

A solidly S-ranked technique.

* * *

~ Author's Note ~

Chapter 14, finally. I know what you're thinking, and I apologize profusely; this really was supposed to be posted on Tuesday, but unavoidable delays… *coughwriter'sblockcough*… as I said, unavoidable delays interfered.

I'm sorry (again), but once I finished up that bridge scene, this chapter got seriously stuck, and it refused to budge. I'm still not completely confident about the second part of the chapter, but I hope for favorable reviews. Also, I really enjoyed writing from Kakashi's point of view; do you think I got his reactions right? And another thing; I really dislike the only title I could come up with for this chapter. If any of you have better suggestions, please tell me (whether you do so by review or PM it doesn't matter).

(On a completely unrelated note that you may feel free to skip: I got caught up in watching the movie 'Easy A' with my sister last night, and it was absolutely hilarious. I really recommend it if you're in the mood for a good laugh and have noticed and despaired at the absolutely ridiculous speed of high school gossip networks.)

And, finally; after I finish the Wave Arc I may start focusing on my other stories for awhile. I'll still be coming back to this periodically, but I haven't written anything for **This Time It's Real** in months and I'm also getting excited about the direction I've decided to push **Disowned** in. If you like Twilight and/or Inuyasha fics, please check them out; I quite like how they've progressed so far.

Well, that's enough of my rambling for now (I'm sure that if you've actually read all this you're getting tired of my apologies and completely unsubtle advertising too), so please (please, please, please) review.

~ Aljan Moonfire ~


	16. Chapter 15: A Bridge to Courage

_**Aljan Moonfire does not own Naruto**_

"Speaking."

'_Thinking._'

_**

* * *

**_

**_Chapter 15 – A Bridge to Courage_**

* * *

**The Following Morning…**

The sun was just rising over the waters visible through her window when Noriko found herself rising back into consciousness. Blinking lazily at the ceiling, she slowly brought her thoughts around to the realization that she probably wouldn't be getting back to sleep.

She let a light huff of air that might have qualified as a sigh puff over her slightly parted lips and sat up, blearily blinking around the dimly lit room. Reaching reflexively over to the side, she grabbed her mask from the floor and placed it over her scars without a sound. Sighing again at the early hour, she rose from the soft cushioning of the futon to begin to prepare to meet the day.

Not even fifteen minutes later found her perched on the edge of the docks outside, watching the sun continue its rise over the waves. As she watched the warm colors of the sunrise creep their way over the sea, her thoughts returned to the events of the past day or so.

Not long after Sasuke and Haku had woken up, a large group of villagers had shown up on the bridge to fight a fight that had already ended. Upon the discovery that not only was the fight over, but Gato was dead, celebrations had immediately broken out and they soon spread all over the rest of the isle.

After the villagers had arrived, Zabuza had finally passed out, apparently from blood loss and chakra exhaustion. As he had pretty much traded places with his apprentice, and said apprentice really wasn't in much of a condition to go anywhere with him, they had taken the duo back with them to Tazuna's home to recuperate. At the moment they weren't much of a threat though, and it wasn't like they would gain anything from turning on them anyway, so both Kakashi and her teammates were pretty much okay with it.

Also, while she was very happy for the now freed country, the overwhelming gratitude and slight hero-worship of the populace had made her very uncomfortable. She knew that they felt the need to repay her in at least some way though, so she accepted it with as much grace as she could manage.

Either way though, this was the first time had had been able to stop and catch her breath so to speak; the first time she was able to stop and think about what had happened, and what might come next. She knew what she wanted to happen though. She wanted Haku and Zabuza to come back with her, to Konoha. She didn't ever want to fight against her friend – one of her first real friends her age at that - again. She didn't want to worry about him as he followed Zabuza around, fleeing from the _real _hunter-nin squads. And she also knew that if Zabuza didn't come, Haku wouldn't either.

So, she had to come up with a way to convince not only Haku, but also Zabuza, to follow her back. To trust her enough to come with her. And that… that wasn't going to be easy; not at all. She sighed, closing her eyes against the brightening glare of the rising sun. Then she stiffened slightly as she heard the movement behind her, as well as the opening and closing of the door to Tazuna's home.

"Are you alright, Zabuza-sama?" came Haku's slightly worried voice.

Zabuza's response was as gruff as ever. "Yeah; I'm fine." There was a brief rustle of movement and cloth, followed by the sound of a chair moving a bit, that told her that Zabuza had probably sat down in one of the chairs just outside the home.

As she absently listened to the continued murmurs of conversation flowing from behind her, Noriko took in a deep breath and then let it out slowly. She really wasn't one for overly complicated plans or advanced tactics – as far as she was concerned that was Shikamaru's job – so she might as well get this over with.

If they said no, they said no. At least by being honest about it, especially so long before they'd be able to leave, they'd at least have some time to think about it properly. Standing up, brushing some non-existent dirt from her blue yukata as she did so, she turned to approach the pair of missing-nin.

As she made her way over to the now silent males she almost immediately caught their attention. Haku, of course, was the one to greet her, ever present soft smile hovering around his lips. "Good morning Noriko-chan." He said, voice as gentle as ever. "Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"Well enough," she replied, "and you?"

"Well enough." He echoed in good-natured mockery.

Unobtrusively biting her lower lip softly in slight nervousness, the motion partly hidden by her mask, Noriko asked, "Have you two decided what you're going to do next? After leaving here?"

Haku exchanged a mostly unreadable look with his teacher and replied carefully; slightly wary of the question, especially as the two really weren't all that sure if they had a viable answer. "No, not really." He replied. "Why?"

"Can I propose something?" she asked just as carefully, keeping an eye on Zabuza as well.

Haku looked interested in whatever it was the girl had to say, curious and willing to listen. Zabuza felt much the same, but was obviously managing to hide any indication of it much better than his student. "Well, what is it then?" the man asked with obvious suspicion.

"I'm not entirely sure of what any of your plans would be after this, and I'm not going to pry. But it's likely that the only reason that you two agreed to work for someone like Gato in the first place was not only for the money, but also for the protection he could offer you from real hunter-nin, right?" she asked.

Zabuza raised an almost completely non-existent brow in surprise at the girl's words. Despite it probably only being a guess, she was mostly right. There was obviously a lot more to it than that, but he could definitely say that he wasn't going to enjoy having those bastards back on his tail again. It's not like he had many options though.

Haku, however, was the one to reply this time, "Yes, and…?"

"Well, I was wondering if you might want to come back to Konoha with us and become ninja there." She suggested as nonchalantly as she could. They both looked incredulous at the option for a moment; both of their eyes wide with slight hope, but a growing cynicism was soon made apparent.

"That would never work." Zabuza replied, slightly disappointed at the naive suggestion.

"Well, actually, it could. I'm really quite close to the Hokage, and as the last survivor of two rather important clans I have some influence with more than just him. In addition to that, Zabuza, you're just about on par with Kakashi – one of Konoha's strongest jounin – and Haku, you have a very desirable bloodline limit. And bloodline limits are revered in Konoha, not hated as they are in the Mist."

Haku couldn't help the small smile that rose to his lips at that last. Meanwhile, Zabuza was thinking over what the girl had said. He had never really given much thought to ever joining a village again. After his failed coup against the Mizukage he had sworn to return one day and retake the Mist, to turn it into a place he could have been proud to be born in.

Lately though, he had begun to consider breaking that vow, and standing in front of him were probably the only two people he'd even consider doing it for. Haku… well, Haku had always been loyal to him, had always followed him, had never left his side. He couldn't help but care for the kid, even if he'd never admit it to anyone but himself.

Noriko on the other hand… it was less than twenty-four hours ago that the small girl had saved his life and then had gone on to just about save this country single handedly in under ten minutes. That wasn't something you saw everyday; there was no doubt that Noriko was very strong, and Zabuza couldn't help but respect someone with such strength. Also, if there was something Momochi Zabuza honored above just about anything else, it was his debts and his promises.

However…there were other vows, other debts, to be taken into consideration.

Finally he spoke, "When I first became a genin, so long ago," he began slowly, "I swore to never serve another village, to always be loyal to Kirigakure. And I was. But then the Kirigakure I originally served became something I could no longer bear to be a part of and I left. In place of my vow of loyalty I swore to change my homeland. To make it into something better."

Narrowing his eyes on Noriko's face he continued seriously, hoping to drive his point home, "If I go with you I would be giving up on that promise. But yesterday you saved my life, and most likely Haku's as well – whether or not you acknowledge it. I owe you for that. Breaking the vow I made is one of the things I would be willing to do for you in return, but I refuse to ever serve another hidden village as well." He finished.

Noriko didn't look away, but took a deep breath as she prepared her answer. "I can understand that." She replied, just as seriously. "I don't know if I could ever fight for any other village than Konoha. But…" she hesitated for a moment, uncertain, before diving in, "I'm worried about you two. I don't ever want to end up on the other side of a conflict from you again, nor do I want to hear about your bounty ever being cashed in." she added at the end to Zabuza in specific.

She bit her lip again for a minute as she struggled to come up with a solution, Arisa's silence echoing from the back of her mind. Then the proverbial light bulb went off in her head, and Zabuza and Haku, though still surprised by her declaration of concern, could see that she might have come up with a solution.

Tucking her hands into their opposite sleeves and rocking back on her heels, Noriko began to explain her idea. "I may have a solution for that, though whether or not it would work at all would depend on you…" she trailed of frowning. Then she shook her head and returned her attention to Zabuza and Haku. "As I mentioned before I am the last heir of two rather prestigious clans," she began, "that effectively makes me the acting clan head of said clans. That grants me some privileges and some responsibilities, but most of them don't really come into play as I'm the only one left."

"What I am suggesting," she continued, rather hesitantly, "is that you two become retainers of my clan." When Zabuza made as if to speak (whether to protest or not she wasn't sure) she held up a gloved hand to fend off any interruptions for the moment. "As retainers you would answer only to me, but be paced under my and my clan's protection. As a part of my clan you would not have to serve under the Hokage or any other member of the Hidden Village unless you wish it."

"Technically though you'd still be a part of Konoha and all the general protection that comes with that status, such as protection from random hunter-nin, will also be yours. It will also protect you from anyone in positions of power from taking too much advantage of your presence. The only catch would be that you'll have to obey me, and live with me, and, well…" she shrugged rather helplessly, "I'm sure you get the idea. There might be a few other minor concessions we'd have to make because you're a missing-nin, but they probably won't be too severe. "she directed the last specifically towards Zabuza as well.

As Noriko's voice faded and silence enveloped the three ninja in their own thoughts, the sun finally broke over the horizon in full. Haku, considering the pros and cons of such a deal, could see almost only pros, the cons being very minor in his eyes. He had been following orders, devoting himself to one person, for most of his life. Adding Noriko in as a second superior really wouldn't change all that much, especially as he already considered the blonde girl to be a very precious person.

Zabuza on the other hand, while he could definitely see the many positives of such a situation, could also see the negatives. It had been a very long time since he had taken real orders from someone – clients like Gato really don't count – and following a kid like Noriko would be a real change of pace. There was also the fact that once he swore fealty to the girl he would be unable to break the bond; to do so would leave him completely without any personal honor.

As his personal honor at least was something he'd managed to keep despite all odds over the years that was certainly saying something. But all that means really, is that he'd be making this choice almost entirely on faith - on trust. He hadn't made such a choice since his childhood – not that he'd had all that much of one to begin with.

Frowning, he shifted his vision to glance at Haku before turning his attention back to Noriko. Giving an uncharacteristic sigh, he finally spoke, "I won't be leaving anytime soon, brat; I'm still healing. I'll have to think on it, alright." He said tersely.

Noriko smiled, '_At least he's thinking about it…_' and replied, "That's no problem. I believe we'll be leaving within the week though, so you'll have to tell me your response within the next few days."

They all exchanged slight smiles, Zabuza's of course hidden by bandages and Noriko's half hidden by her mask, the three relaxing a bit with the temporary resolution. Then Noriko returned to her spot on the docks to continue her contemplation of the raising sun, and Haku and Zabuza returned inside, both thinking hard on her proposal.

.-.

"It's thanks to you that we've completed the bridge," Tazuna said, looking verifiably downhearted. "But this is super sad, seeing you go…" he trailed off.

It had been a week since the end of the battle, and Gato's death. While some things had changed over that short period of time, many things had also stayed the same. As Noriko looked over the gathered populace of the city that had come to bid the tea farewell, she couldn't help but reflect on what had occurred over the course of that week.

It had been couple of days after she'd spoken with Haku and Zabuza about returning with them to Konoha that she had woken to find that they had left, disappearing during the night. Kakashi, who had been on watch the night, had later told the rest of the house's current inhabitants that Zabuza had healed well enough to travel and so they had gone.

Their sudden disappearance had certainly shaken her – she had really hoped that they might have accepted her offer. Even has she smiled slightly at the bridge builder and his small family, she couldn't help but scan the surroundings unobtrusively, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two missing ninja.

There was also the time, on that same day as the battle, when Kakashi had managed to corner her for some answers. She had answered as best she could - of course not disclosing the fact that she was a kitsune - but making it apparent that she had had some 'other' help in honing her skills. While this certainly made Kakashi a bit nervous, he had seemed to accept it relatively easily; though the fact that Sarutobi already knew of it had probably helped.

When he had asked about the ice techniques she had explained it away as high affinities to wind and water, as well as a truly godly amount of Kage bunshin over the past several years. As it was indeed partly true – that was how she had gotten such a thorough mastery of her tails in such a short time - and he had seemed to buy it, but she knew that he had known she was holding back. Thankfully he hadn't pushed her all that hard about it, though that might have just been because he's lazy.

Shikamaru and Sasuke hadn't even approached her about the events on the bridge yet, though she knew that both of them were suspicious and slightly wary. She'd have to be careful about how she told them what had happened, and how it had been_ able_ to happen. It might have some rather bad consequences, especially for her, if they took what she said the wrong way.

She looked over at the rest of her team for a moment before Kakashi broke her out of her thoughts. "Thank you for everything," Kakashi replied neutrally to Tazuna's statement, expressing some gratitude for the family's hospitality.

"Don't worry," Noriko added reassuringly, focusing the majority of her attention back on the family. "We'll be sure to come visit."

"Really?" Inari asked waveringly, looking as if he we about to cry.

"Really." She gave him a wider smile, curving her visible eye into a happy arc.

He smile tremblingly back, tears finally escaping his eyes as he remembered her words from that day – _It's alright to cry when you're happy_ – and said, "You… you better."

Noriko just nodded in reply and glanced around the crowd once more. Then she nodded again and turned to leave, a sad glint in her eye. Kakashi, Shikamaru, and Sasuke all exchanged quick glances and then turned to follow, quickly catching up with the kunoichi.

Tazuna and his family watched sadly as they disappeared into the fading mist, eyes thoughtful. The he began to speak, his voice starting out soft and slowly raising until the entire crowd could hear him. "That girl…" he began, "She changed Inari's heart, and then Inari changed the people's hearts… she helped us build a bridge called 'hope', one that lead to courage." He pondered out loud.

Tsunami, listening to him replied, "Bridge… oh yeah, don't we need to name it?" she asked her father.

Tazuna looked at her in surprise for a moment before grinning, "Well, I have a super perfect name for this bridge…" he trailed off teasingly.

"Oh? What is it?" one of the people to his left asked.

"The Super Great Bridge That Tazuna Built." He announced proudly. There was a stunned silence for a minute before loud objections and more suitable suggestions were piled up on the man, stunning him in return.

As he watched his grandfather get torn into by the crowd and his mother he glanced at the spot where Team 7 had vanished from sight and smiled. As the crowd finally clamed down he piped up with his own suggestion, "How about the Great Uzumaki Bridge?" he suggested. "Uzumaki is her last name." he explained.

They all stared at the boy in surprise for a moment before smiling, "Heh, that's a good name…"

.-.

It was hours later, on the night of the same day they left Nami no Kuni, that Team 7 stopped for the night. They had traveled throughout the day at a steady speed, and without a civilian to guard they had already traveled most of the distance to Konoha. If they kept up the same pace the next morning they may well make it beyond the gates before noon.

It was just as they finished setting up the camp for the night that they felt approaching, and familiar chakra signals nearing the campsite. Seconds later, two blurs sped into the clearing, eventually stopping and solidifying into two very familiar Nin. Haku smiled gently at Noriko. "Good evening, Noriko-chan." He said in greeting.

She blinked in surprise at their presence, but quickly replied, "Good evening, Haku-kun."

Then her view of her fiend was obstructed by the body of the other Nin that had arrived in the small clearing. "Hey, kid." He said gruffly and then coughed slightly in almost unnoticeable embarrassment. "I," he glanced back at Haku as unobtrusively as possible before correcting himself, "We, accept your offer."

Noriko's eye widened at the acceptance – she had just about believed that they'd rejected her – but she quickly gathered her composure and said, "Very well. Are you willing to do so formally here then? My team will act as witness." She asked, wanting to get it over with before they changed their minds.

Zabuza glanced slightly warily at said team but nodded, "That sounds fine."

As they had this exchange, Noriko's team could only watch on in bewilderment, unsure of what exactly was going on. Kakashi had an inkling of what it might involve, but was unsure of the specifics and Shikamaru and Sasuke were just about lost. Seeing this, Noriko turned to her team and explained, "Zabuza and Haku have decided to accept the offer of my clan's protection and enter service as my retainers." She told them as succinctly as possible.

They all nodded simultaneously at that as if they had known all along. Then Kakashi, followed shortly by Shikamaru and then Sasuke, stopped mid nod and frowned, "Wait, what?" was the general sentiment.

Noriko's visible brow just twitched slightly in annoyance, "Just get over here," she said from where she had moved to stand by a stump that was just about waist high on her.

The three males of team seven just observed in stunned bewilderment as both Haku and Zabuza took their turns to swear fealty to Noriko, sealing it with a simple contract. Then the document was offered to them and, on Noriko's rather impatient urging, they, signed their witness, finalizing it with not only the signatures of the heirs of two of Konoha's most prominent clans – one being the 'last' survivor of said clan – but also that of one of the Leaf's most prominent elite-jounin.

Unlike his students though, before he signed Kakashi looked it over, searching for anything detrimental. Finding nothing, and trusting Noriko's judgment on this, he too signed. Haku and Zabuza were both now officially under the protection of the Uzumaki and Namikaze clans. He sighed under his breath. He didn't even _want_ to know how Noriko had found out about her father.

On Kakashi's signing of the paper Noriko let out a breath of relief. That should take care of things for the moment. There might be a few differences of opinion within the council, but she knew that with the Sandaime on her side on this there really wasn't all that much any who objected could do, especially if she could get Saru-jiji to confirm it with the Hokage seal.

Hopefully things would go just as well once they get back to Konoha the next day.

.-.

**The Next Day, In the Hokage's Office…**

Sarutobi Hiruzen could only stare in shock at the gathered ninja in front of him, the verbal report he had just received from Kakashi still ringing in his ears. He couldn't help the slight twitch of his eyebrow as he looked over the six Nin.

The Uchiha looked to be as stiff as ever, the arrogance emanating from him clearly displaying the fact that he'd awakened his bloodline on this mission; he was sure Noriko would beat it out of him in time though. The Nara was just as lazy as his clan typically was. He seemed to have fallen asleep on his feet at some point during the tedious report. Kakashi looked to be bored as ever, but at least he was relatively on time this time.

The one that had induced the growing migraine pounding at his temples though, was the only kunoichi of the team. She was standing slightly apart from the rest of team, her new vassals flanking her to either side. Said 'retainers' themselves looked to be uncomfortable, not that that was all that surprising seeing as one of them was an A-class missing-nin.

How did that girl do it? Almost every time she went on a mission outside the village walls the mission was either miss-ranked or the client was lying or outside complications bumped it up to at least a B-rank. At this point she'd only been on two C-ranks that had actually stuck to that rank, and one of those had involved a kid so annoying and bratty it should have been criminal, as well as a penchant for getting into just about every imaginable scrape. In hindsight it may have been more appropriate to rank it at B.

This was the first time she'd brought strays home with her though.

Sighing, he glanced down at the signed contract on the desk before him a wordlessly picked up the Hokage seal and applied it to the document. It was now impossible to refute by any except the Daimyo himself. He then picked up the paper and handed it back to Noriko, who took it carefully into her possession.

"Alright then, Team 7?" All of the members of said team stood to attention at the relatively serious tone, "You will receive payment for the successful completion of an A-ranked mission within the next few days, with a bonus. You are dismissed. Noriko, you and your… retainers… stay behind."

As the rest of the team left, sending unobtrusive glances at said girl as they went, Noriko sifted her weight in slight nervousness. Looking at the girl before him he almost couldn't believe that she was the same infant that he'd held squalling in his arms over a decade ago. He felt so _old_. Once the rest of Team 7 was gone, he sagged slightly in his chair, giving Noriko the fondly exasperated look he'd so often turned on his own grandchild. "How do you get yourself into these messes, Noriko-chan?" he asked.

She smiled slightly awkwardly in return and shrugged. "I really don't know Saru-jiji." She glanced at the two ninja that currently couldn't help the surprise they felt at the casualness she was referring to the Hokage with. "This time I can't be too upset with results though."

"No, I suppose you wouldn't be." He sighed in return. "Well then, you Zabuza," he directed his words to the, now former, missing-nin, "will be confined to Noriko's… place of residence for a time." He hesitated on calling that forest the actual residence of someone, but continued, "And if at all possible we'd like you to take on an apprentice or two at some point in the future." It wasn't a request. "I assure you you'll have plenty of space in the convening months though."

"As for you, Haku-kun, we'd like you to join our shinobi forces at some point as well, though we shall not push. And Noriko-chan, they're your responsibility now." He hesitated for a second before continuing, "Please try not to traumatize them too much."

Noriko grinned. "No promises." Zabuza and Haku couldn't help the shiver unease that worked its way down their spines at the last exchange.

.-.

**Twenty Minutes Later…**

The unnerving half smile was still etched over Noriko's face as she presented her new retainers to their new home. "Welcome to my humble abode." She said happily.

The scream of a dying animal shook the air, followed by a triumphant roar.

Haku and Zabuza could only stare in shock at the menacing forest before them. They had the mutual uneasy feeling that they might end up being in a perpetual state of surprise for quite a while. Haku could help the gulp that seemed to echo in his ears.

Noriko just kept on smiling.

* * *

~ Author's Note ~

Chapter 15, and the end of the Wave Arc, is here! Did you guys like how I settled the Zabuza/Haku issue? I don't think I've ever seen quite this set of circumstances before so I hope you did.

I'm sorry to get this out a few weeks later than I wanted to. Writer's Block – it deserves to be capitalized this time - hit once again, and I got really stuck on how I wanted that first scene between Zabuza, Haku, and Noriko to go. I ended up restarting it about five times and finally settled on this, but I'm still a bit unsure about the results. I've known exactly what I _wanted _to do with this chappie since New Year's, but _how_ to actually do it became a problem as soon as I started. Ugh. As if to make up for that I quite liked the ending though.

Also, someone told me in a review (that I was unable to reply to since they have disabled their PM feature) that adding a bloodline in on top of every thing else made Noriko a more than just a bit too over-powered. In case anyone else had the same concerns I decided to address that here.

First of all, Noriko does not have the Ice Release bloodline. She is able to manipulate ice because she's a kitsune. However, her teammates and Zabuza didn't know that, they just assumed that she had it because she's able to use Hyouton techniques; something that as far as they knew was limited to those with the Hyouton Kekkei Genkai. Sorry if I confused you with the way I put it in the last chapter.

Another thing: This story now has over 100 reviews! I did an involuntary happy dance when it reached the triple digits. Since I really feel like gloating right now, I shall also report this story's other stats as of this update:

Reviews – 110

Hits – 31,632

C2s - 11

Favs – 162

Alerts – 170

Thank you, thank you, and thank you again to all those wonderful people who contributed to those stats. Seriously, the ego boost is absolutely wonderful. I really love you guys.

That's about I'll I had to say, so please continue with the utterly awesome reviews and tell me what you think!

~ Aljan Moonfire ~


	17. Chapter 16: Nominations and Confrontatio

**Aljan Moonfire does not own Naruto.**

"Speaking."

_'Thinking'_

* * *

_**Chapter 16 – Nominations and Confrontations**_

* * *

**In the Hokage's Office, while Noriko shows her home to Haku and Zabuza…**

"So, do you understand now, Kakashi?" asked Sarutobi mildly as he puffed lightly on his pipe.

Kakashi nodded, slightly sheepish. "That girl…" he trailed off. "I hope you know what you're doing, Hokage-sama." He finally said, feeling a bit anxious. "When she's so strong already… I certainly don't."

The Sandaime glanced sharply at the elite jonin, concerned by his lack of confidence. He supposed he couldn't really blame the Hatake though, his wasn't the first ego to take a blow from Noriko's strength, and it most certainly wouldn't be the last. Even he couldn't compare himself favorably to Noriko at times, especially concerning her age.

Sarutobi exhaled a thin wisp of smoke as he sighed and replied, "Honestly, I didn't put Noriko on your team because you could teach her anything in particular – at least not physically." He hesitated almost imperceptibly before continuing. "But that girl has only trusted six people in her entire life. Four of those six are the only things holding her to this village, and I know that I only have a decade or so left in me, leaving three – two of whom are civilians."

Kakashi frowned. "That's not much at all."

"Yes, I know. The only other things that might keep her here are her ambition, and her promises, and even I'm not sure how far that'll go. She keeps so much to herself…" he trailed off. "I want her to be able to trust in her team – in you and those two boys. If she does…" he paused. "If she does come to be able to trust in her comrades, I have no doubt she'll one day take this seat from me."

Kakashi didn't seem all that surprised by the statement. At this point he'd be shocked if she _didn't_ become Hokage one day. He knew that her teammates probably felt similarly.

Seeing that Kakashi understood, Sarutobi raised his pipe to his moth once again and half-closed his eyes. "Dismissed." Kakashi gave a quick half bow and vanished with a shunshin. He had much to think about.

The Sandaime sighed and closed his eyes tiredly once Kakashi was gone. '_In fact, I'm counting on you taking this seat from me, Noriko. God knows none of my students are going to step up to the plate. I'm way too old for this...'_

.-.

**Four Months Later…**

"Are you sure about this Zabuza?" Noriko asked as she surveyed the future battlefield skeptically. Then she raised her gaze slightly to meet that of her opponent's. "You know you won't win."

"You aren't going to be able to beat me so easily this time." Was all he said as he assumed a stance, readying himself and his weapon for the coming clash.

Noriko nodded her head in reluctant assent, and shifted into a graceful stance, kunai grasped in each fist. They both waited a moment and then, as if on a signal only noticed by the two they dashed forwards, meeting with a harsh clang of metal.

.-.

Noriko scratched at her hairline sheepishly as she bent over Haku's shoulder a rueful look entering her eye as she took in the wounds she had inflicted on Zabuza's body once more. "I told you it would turn out like this," she murmured distractedly as she oversaw the feminine boy's work. Then she noticed something about it and quickly pointed it out to the other teen. "And Haku – watch your control. You're getting too close to overloading the technique." She said.

"Ah, yes." The boy replied, hastily reining in his chakra. The soft green glow that surrounded Haku's hands lessened slightly in intensity, and he narrowed his eyes in focus. Beneath the green aura the wound that had been carved into Zabuza's torso slowly knitted itself shut.

As the teen removed his hands from the man's chest and let the glow subside, she leaned closer to check his work. "Good job." She nodded in approval, seeing nothing wrong with it. "You've really improved since you got here." She told him. "As I said before though, watch your control. You got distracted by what I said and almost lost your hold on the technique. Also, don't try it on any wounds larger than this yet; you aren't ready for the complexity of a larger injury."

"Yes, Noriko-sama." Haku responded dutifully, though he was actually quite excited by the compliment. Over the couple of months that had passed since they'd arrived in Konoha, the three ninja had grown closer and learned quite a lot about each other.

One of the things she and Haku had found that they shared an interest in was healing, both with plants and herbs as well as with medical ninjutsu. Haku's pursuit of the art came partly from necessity, and partly from genuine interest. He was the only medic – even half trained as he was – of their small group for years before their fateful encounter in Nami no Kuni.

Noriko's fascination with it had begun when she realized that no one else healed like she did. Even before she became a kitsune she could heal in a week what would take others months to get over. As a result, she had begun to learn some basic medical techniques – just in case. It had ended up being so useful in a number of the scrapes she had inadvertently gotten herself into that she had continued pursue the study on the side. These days she was actually quite skilled in it, and had even created a technique that revolved around healing for her kitsune skills with the element of water. She had yet to have a chance to utilize it though.

Zabuza interrupted the teen's conversation then by rising to his feet and stretching slightly. Then he turned to the girl he had just lost rather badly to – again – and spoke. "I noticed it the first time we spared," he commented, "but even though you're quite skilled with them, those kunai don't really suit the way you fight."

"Yes, I've noticed it too," she agreed before continuing, "I've looked through the small armory I have here, but I couldn't find anything that really suited me, even though I've learned to use most of them proficiently." She smiled then, the visible corner of her mouth turning up slightly. "So, I ordered something special from one of the local weapon smiths. I'm actually supposed to pick it up later today." Turning back to Haku, she directed her next question to him. "Do you want to come with me?" she asked him.

"Eh?" he asked, surprised. "Me?" he blinked, still a bit startled, before quickly consenting, actually sounding a bit grateful to get out of the forest for a while. "That sounds fine Noriko-sama."

Out of Noriko's line of sight, Zabuza quietly sulked about not being able to go along as well. He was very curious about what Noriko's new weapon/s would look like.

.-.

A few hours later found Noriko and Haku arriving outside a small weapon shop. The simple moniker of 'Kyougu's' was emblazoned across the sign above the door and as they stepped into the store a few small bells tinkled softly. The shop itself was a bit bigger than it looked to be on the outside, but not by much. Many different weapons lined the walls, and shelves covered in standard, and not so standard, shinobi equipment formed three aisles to one side.

The back wall was taken up by a fairly large counter that was partly obscured by a cash register and some smaller products. The wall behind the counter was covered by a large cabinet, and inside it different kinds of exploding tags were placed on display. Disregarding all this though, Noriko quickly made her way over to the counter, and the girl seated behind it.

She appeared to be around the same age as Noriko, perhaps a year or so older, and had long brown hair gathered into two round buns on either side of her head. A light pink shirt with a high chinese collar and design clothed her torso and a glinting hitai-ate wrapped around her forehead under the light fringe of her bangs declared her to be a shinobi.

As they approached, the girl looked up from the weapons catalogue she had been browsing to greet the other teen familiarly. "Hey, Noriko-san. You here to pick them up? Dad's been working on 'em for the past few months but he still won't let me take a look."

"Well, he probably doesn't want to ruin the surprise," Noriko replied. "I'm sure you'll get to see them in action soon enough though."

Tenten pouted at her slightly for a moment, but soon relented. "Dad's in the back putting the finishing touches on them. You can go watch if you want. I have to keep an eye on the store."

Noriko nodded her consent and made her way through an unobtrusive door to the side of the room opposite of the aisles, Haku trailing behind her all the way. Stepping into the forge that opened up into the back yard of the shop, the two were greeted by the booming voice of Kyougu Kuroda. "Noriko-chan! You here to pick them up then?" he asked, "and who's your pretty friend?" he asked, almost as an afterthought.

"Yes, I am." She replied, in a much quieter tone of voice than the man. "And Haku is my retainer." She paused for a second before continuing, voice amused, "_He_ is also a boy."

"Eh? Really?" he inquired, looking the androgynous boy over before shrugging. Haku just sighed in resignation. This kind of reaction was becoming an almost daily occurrence. "If you say so. But anyway, they turned out even better than we both expected. I'd have to call them my best work, even more so than your father's kunai."

Turning back to where he'd been working before they'd come in, he took the time to adjust something before rotating on the spot to place them on the low table before the girl and her companion.

Glinting elegantly in the sunlight of the afternoon, the pair of blades seemed to almost shiver as Noriko traced her gaze over them. Short, but quite a bit longer than an ordinary kunai, the pair of tanto-like blades were a soft gray in color, with patterned waves making their way down the sides. Bladed on only one side, they were both deadly and graceful, with a stunningly simple design.

Looking at them, Haku could only think that they suited his companion to a tee. The smile the girl wore as the picked one up and examined it carefully said that she thought so as well. "They're perfect…" she murmured softly, taking the other in her free hand and feeling a secure and perfectly fitted grip against her gloves.

"Yeah, I thought so too. The blades channel chakra, just as you requested also. It took a lot of experimentation, but they should be able to handle any elemental charka nature you choose to put through 'em. " Kuroda said, watching her examine them with a slight smirk. He then presented her with a pair of matching sheaths to go with the blades. They were made of a soft gray leather, and decorated with the embossing of a golden fox on each. "Take good care of them, Noriko-chan."

Her smile only widened as she placed the long knives in their respective coverings. "I will."

.-.

**A Week Later…**

Noriko arrived at the far end of the small red bridge with the standard swirl of a Konoha shunshin. Her two teammates, who had sensed the incoming transportation technique, tuned their attention back to what they had been doing previously.

For Shikamaru, that meant returning to his pondering of a shougi game he'd lost to his father the night before, though it looked as if he were just sleeping to anyone who didn't know him. For Sasuke, it meant following through on the movement he had paused in the middle of and resuming the swift kata he'd been running through.

Noriko hopped up onto the closest bridge post and crossed her legs before taking out a book from the sleeve of her yukata. Even as she opened the book to begin where she'd left off though, she couldn't help but wonder at the changes her teammates had gone through over the course of the four months since they'd graduated. She couldn't help but think that most of those changes were both for the better, and most likely had something to do with her.

The conversations and questions about her actions at the bridge had not only changed how they thought of her, but also how they thought of themselves. The direction of the conversations where remarkably similar however, and they had asked almost the same sorts of questions as Kakashi. If that didn't say something about the results of their tutelage under the Copy-nin, she didn't know what did.

So now her entire team knew that she not only had high affinities towards all the elements – high enough to be able to imitate the effects of elemental Kekkei Genkai – but had also ended up creating her own sealless techniques for them. The fact that she was able to fight on par with Kage-level opponents also came as a surprise, needless to say. It wasn't the whole truth any way you look at it, but they had been so over whelmed just by that that she was afraid to tell them the rest, at least all at once.

How could she possibly just dump so many major secrets on them all at once? And even if she did, how could she expect them to really believe them? No, it was better to keep some things close to the chest for now, so to say. After all, what if they left her after finding out? She didn't want to be alone again…

She shook away the disheartening thoughts and turned her attention back to her book. '1,001 Ways to Utilize Chopsticks in Combat' was a looking to be a very interesting read after all.

.-.

**Half an Hour Later…**

Kakashi appeared at the meeting spot with a typical swirl of smoke, three mission scrolls in hand. "Good Morning, my cute students!" he said cheerfully, getting slight glares in return.

"You're late." Sasuke growled, still annoyed by the tardiness even after close to six months.

Typically, the jonin ignored him. "Well, we have a few D-ranks to get out of the way today, but there's something else I want you three to consider. The Chunin Exams will be held here in Konoha a couple of weeks, and I was thinking of entering you three. What do you think?" he asked them

Noriko smiled; thoughts that went something along the lines of 'Finally!' running through her head. Sasuke also smiled, but his was more of a smirk, as well as a bit fiercer, the thoughts of the challenges he might face in the exams exciting him. Shikamaru on the other hand seemed to be completely neutral, but was really observing his teammates reactions. Their excitement was palpable.

He sighed, and then replied for all of them, looking forward to it a bit despite himself. "That sounds fine Kakashi-sensei."

.-.

**Meanwhile…**

Hyuga Hinata stared on with a sort of horrified fascination as the boy on the other side of the table from her practically inhaled an extra-large serving of barbeque pork. No mater how many times she saw it, it always made her lose her appetite.

Speaking of which, she looked down at the barely touched meal before her. Poking at it, she resigned herself to bringing it home with her, again. For once she'd like to be able to eat her teriyaki chicken in peace though. It wasn't like Akimichi Chouji wasn't a decent guy after all; he just got a bit too enthusiastic when it came to food.

She winced slightly as said boy burped, announcing the end of his most recent serving. Okay, maybe more than a bit.

Yamanaka Ino, on the other hand, had no where near the patience of her quiet teammate. "God, Chouji, that's disgusting!" she exclaimed. "I know asking you to slow down's hopeless, but can't you at least be quieter about it?"

The boy in question just shrugged in return, mouth already in the process of being stuffed with more food. Ino huffed in familiar exasperation at the noncommittal response and turned back to the only other female of her team. "So, have you gotten that new technique down yet Hinata-chan?" she asked.

"Not quite," the quiet girl replied softly, "I hope to have made some progress by the end of the week though."

"If I know you you'll have it perfected by the end of the weak." Ino countered, dismissing the Hyuga heiress' modesty, as always.

It had been a rather harsh blow to Ino at first, not being on Sasuke's team, but she'd gotten over it relatively quickly. Despite the attraction of the brooding boy, without his daily presence to spurn on her affections, her crush on him had died a rather rapid and silent death. Not even her 'rivalry' with Sakura had been enough, especially with the surprising, and oh so interesting addition to her genin team.

Despite her wishes to be on her (now former) crush's team, a part of Ino had always known that she'd most likely end up on the same team as the two boys she known since her infancy – Shikamaru and Chouji, that is. Even now, she still wasn't all that sure why Shikamaru had been placed on a different one.

But now, she wasn't at all certain she'd have changed the placements for anything in the world. This was, admittedly, because of Hinata. Hinata had always been nothing more than that quiet, rather weird girl in the back of the classroom, who was just as strange for never appreciating the attractiveness of Uchiha Sasuke as her severe stutter. But that was before they'd been put on the same team.

Once she'd actually taken a closer look at Hinata and begun to understand her personality, the Yamanaka had realized that the quiet girl had reminded her of someone. It had taken a couple of days before she'd made the connection. She reminded her of Sakura.

Not the Sakura of now, of course, but the Sakura she'd first met; that crying little girl that was unbearably shy and insecure, as well as constantly bullied. Hinata'd had just about the lowest self confidence she ever seen in anyone, and was so shy she stuttered almost constantly. Also, while no one at the Academy was brave (or just stupid) enough to actually bully the Hyuga heiress, that didn't mean that her treatment by her family was any better than such a situation would be. In some ways it was actually worse.

It hadn't taken long before Ino had begun pulling the heiress out of her shell, inch by hard won inch. Once she had though, it'd quickly become apparent that the only reason bossy blonde had been Kunoichi of the year was simply because Hinata hadn't had the will or confidence to do better.

This had been quite a blow to the confidence of the Yamanaka, but it hadn't taken long before she resolved to not just keep with, but do her best to surpass the Hyuga girl. She'd known that it would be impossible to compete with girl when it came to Taijutsu, so she resolved to focus on her own clan techniques.

While she was still a long way from mastering them, she definitely had more than one technique these days and, once she'd actually asked, her jonin-sensei had been perfectly willing to help her advance her physical condition and chakra reserves.

Speaking of said jonin, Sarutobi Asuma was sitting opposite Ino, on the other side of the booth next to Chouji, chewing slightly on the unlit cigarette in his mouth. His own opinion of his team was quite favorable actually, and as Chouji paused in his eating frenzy, he gave voice to an idea he'd been playing around with since early that morning when he'd realized what time of year it was.

"So, I've been thinking," he began, "how would you three feel about entering the chunin exams in a few weeks?" he asked.

"Bunin efams?" Chouji asked through a new mouthful of food.

"Yes, the Chunin Exams." Asuma repeated, sadly having far too much experience in interpreting what the genin said through his food. "They're exams that test whether or not you're worthy of becoming chunin. They're being held in Konoha this time around."

"Oh." Chouji managed to say clearly, before turning back to his barbeque.

"Well," Ino interjected, "I think it sounds quite interesting. Even if we don't become chunin we should at least know where we stand in strength compared to other teams."

Hinata just nodded in agreement. As the response was rather favorable all things considered, Asuma quickly resolved to enter them, and that was all that was said on the matter.

.-.

Over the next few days similar conversations were held all over the village, and a week later found all the current jonin sensei gathered in the Hokage's office, their attention focused on the old man seated at the desk.

"You've all been assembled here for one reason," began the Sandaime, "It should be obvious."

"It's already that time…" Kakashi murmured lazily.

"The other countries are already more than aware," said the jonin next to him. "I've seen their genin around the village. So when does it start?" he asked.

"In a week," answered Sarutobi, smoke rising lazily from his pipe.

"Wow, that soon?" commented another jonin, a kunoichi this time.

"Well, I'll announce it properly then. Seven days from now, on the first day of July, the Chunin Selection Exams will commence!" declared the Hokage, a slight smirk crossing his lips. He soon grew more serious again though, "Now, first we'll hear from those watching over the new genin teams."

At this, Sarutobi Asuma and Yuuhi Kurenai stepped forward along with Kakashi. "Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma…" the Hokage acknowledged. "Well…? Would you like to enter your genin in this Chunin Exam? I don't have to tell you that after a genin has successfully completed at least eight missions they are free to take the exam if nominated by their sensei. Of course, completing more missions than that is the norm… Now, starting with Kakashi…" the man hinted.

"Under the name of Hatake Kakashi," said jonin began, uncharacteristically serious, "I nominate Team 7 – consisting of Uchiha Sasuke, Nara Shikamaru, and Uzumaki Noriko – to take the Chunin Selection Exams."

Multiple eyes widened behind him. It had been a long time since a rookie genin team had been nominated for the exams; though admittedly, Noriko wasn't exactly a rookie. She was still rather young though. They widened even further when Asuma and Kurenai followed suit.

"Under the name of Yuuhi Kurenai, I nominate Team 8 – consisting of Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, and Haruno Sakura – to take the Chunin selection Exams." She said.

To her right Asuma spoke up, "Under the name of Sarutobi Asuma, I nominate Team 10 – consisting of Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Chouji, and Hyuga Hinata – to take the Chunin Selection Exams." For once the cigarette hanging from his mouth was unlit.

"Hmm…All of them…how rare…" Sarutobi murmured. Then he thought of Noriko and couldn't help but seriously begin to anticipate the coming exams.

Even Iruka, in the back of the crowd could think of little reason to object. He knew, better than most just how strong Noriko was, and he'd been sure to keep tabs on the rest of his former students. He couldn't wait to see how much they'd grown in person.

"Very well then." The Hokage said, turning his attention to the other gathered jonin. "Who else cares to nominate their squads?"

.-.

**Meanwhile…**

"Noriko-nee!"

Noriko turned towards the person calling her name, the laziest member of Team 7 doing the same beside her. She then sighed slightly and smiled at the familiar sight of one Sarutobi Konohamaru racing towards her.

"Hello Kono-kun." She greeted him.

She had known the boy for a few years now (since around the time she'd graduated from the academy really) and every once in a while the kid would pop up and get her to play with him for a while. From what she could tell he seemed to have a slight crush on her, but it was mostly buried beneath a mountain of hero worship.

This was the first time he'd caught her with one of her teammates though, so he probably didn't know who Shikamaru was. Beside her, said boy just blinked lazily, not all that surprised by the apparently close relationship his friend had with the Hokage's grandson. It would take a lot for anything Noriko could do or say at this point to really surprise him.

"What're you doing, Noriko-nee-chan?" the small boy asked, skidding to an abrupt stop before her. "And who this?" he continued, not waiting for an answer. "His hair's weird." Then his eyes widened in horror as he noticed that the two were standing rather close together and he gave a slight gasp of horror. "Don't tell me he's your boyfriend - ?"

At that last exclamation Noriko sighed in exasperation and cut the boy off by slamming her hand over his mouth. "Okay," she began once he seemed to calm down a bit. "In order: I'm heading towards a team meeting. He's Nara Shikamaru. I never really noticed – there are much weirder hair styles out there, trust me. And no, he's not. He's my teammate." Then she raised her visible eyebrow in amusement and asked, "If that's all…?"

Konohamaru shook his head rapidly from side to side and in response Noriko removed her hand. Almost immediately Konohamaru asked, "Will you play ninja with me, Nee-chan?"

Noriko gave another small smile and replied, "Sorry, maybe later? I already told you I was on my way to something, remember?"

"Oh, all right then." Konohamaru looked a little disappointed at first, but bounced back without much trouble. "See ya later then, Nee-chan!" Konohamaru grinned back and raced off just as quickly as he'd arrived. The trail of dust he left had begun to disperse into the air as he vanished around a corner. Both members of Team 7 blinked, surprised, at the sudden departure.

"Well," Shikamaru commented, "he seems…energetic."

"To say the least. But he's cute in small doses." Noriko replied.

"And in large ones?"

"Exhausting."

Then their short exchange was interrupted by shouting coming from the corner Konohamaru had just vanished around. On hurrying to see what had happened, the two of them were greeted by the sight a boy a year or two older than them sneering angrily at the Hokage's grandson, who seemed to have been knocked down and was glaring right back at him.

"That hurt, brat." He growled, leaning down to pick the smaller boy up by the neck of his clothes.

"Konohamaru…" Noriko murmured, angered at the way the obviously foreign genin was treating him. Beside her, hands tucked in his pockets for now but tensed for action, Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, quickly catching sight of the Suna hitai-ate.

"Ugh!" The academy student choked as the fabric of his scarf tightened around his throat.

"That hurt," the Suna-nin repeated, "you little piece of shit!"

"Don't, Kankuro." Beside the older boy a girl that looked to be around the same age, perhaps a bit older, spoke up. "We'll only get yelled at latter."

"No." Noriko said, "Do continue." This certainly caught both of the Sand-nins' attention. "After all, there's no way roughing up the Sandaime Hokage's grandson would do anything but get you immediately kicked out of this village."

At hearing who the child apparently was, the girl, who had her hair pulled back into four odd spiky ponytails, growled, "Kankuro!" She knew very well there was no way they could let that happen.

At this the boy in the cat-like black jumpsuit – Kankuro, apparently – immediately dropped the younger boy. Konohamaru landed harshly on the ground with a cry of discomfort but quickly moved to hide behind Noriko and her teammate.

"Fine, Temari." He muttered, but quickly turned his attention to the pair of leaf genin that had interrupted him. '_Judging by their age, they look like lead genin. Can't be more than twelve.' _"But that doesn't mean we can't have some fun before the boss gets here."

Relatively quickly, he dismissed the two boys (one was just a kid, despite the annoyance factor, and the other looked like a lazy-ass) and turned his attention on the petite girl that'd spoken. '_Let's see how she deals with this…'_ he thought with a smirk, flicking out a few chakra strings to trip her. His eyes widened with shock as they dissolved as soon as they touched her skin. '_What - ?'_

And then he froze in shock as he felt something sharp tapping at his neck. Glancing to the side he found the same small girl he'd been thinking of bullying a little holding a kunai to his throat.

"What?" sputtered Temari to his right, showing she hadn't seen the girl move either.

"How -?" he began, before cutting himself off as the knife pressed harder, cutting into his jumpsuit and biting his neck. The girl before him, that had been shielding the brat from sight went up in smoke, showing it to be a clone. He hadn't even noticed the chakra spike!

Kankuro grit his teeth and made to push her away only to find that she was no longer there. Glancing around, he found her standing a few feet away, in between him and the other Genin and the kid. "Tch," He scoffed glaring at the small girl, "I hate show offs. Guess I'll just have to teach you a lesson instead…" As he said this Kankuro reached behind himself to pull the wrapped bundle off it.

"You're going to use Karasu?" Exclaimed the girl, Temari, in belated concern.

But even as he set it on the ground he was stopped by a voice coming from a nearby tree. "That's enough Kankuro," it said in a male monotone. "You're an embarrassment to our village."

The boy that had spoken looked to be around twelve or thirteen years old, and was currently hanging off the branch of a nearby tree using the tree walking exercise. He had short, spiky red hair that hung downwards with the force of gravity and a red tattoo of the kanji for love etched into his forehead. On his back a brown gourd was tightly secured by a sash of some sort.

"Ga - Gaara…" stammered Kankuro haltingly, almost loosing his grip on whatever was in the package he'd been so prepared to use.

Behind and slightly to the side of Noriko, Shikamaru narrowed his eyes slightly at the new arrival. '_When did he get there?'_ he wondered. _'To conceal such killing intent as well as his own presence entirely… That's Kakashi level stealth…' _

Noriko on the other hand didn't look all that surprised, but she did raise an eyebrow at the oddly familiar feel of the boy chakra and intent. '_Is that yoki?_' she recognized. _'The boy himself is clearly human but…'_ her visible eye widened slightly, '_A Jinchuuriki…? And from Suna as well… He must hold the Shukaku then._' She then turned her attention to the other two Suna-nin and their clear recognition of the other boy. '_And his name is Gaara.'_

Gaara then continued, focusing his attention on his apparent comrade. "Losing control of yourself, how pathetic. Why do you think we came to Konoha?"

The older boy, seeming desperate to get the younger nin's attention away from himself, gestured towards the Leaf ninja and replied, "Listen Gaara, They stated it and – "

"Shut up." Gaara interrupted, silencing the teen immediately. Narrowing his eyes into a glare and focusing a bit more intent into the words he continued threateningly, "or I'll kill you," In a very serious fashion.

"I - I'm sorry…" Kankuro finally managed to get out, hoping to appease his murderous teammate.

"I'm also sorry, really sorry," Temari echoed, sweating nervously.

Gaara just ignored them, turning his attention to the blonde girl that had managed to get the drop on both Kankuro and Temari. "I apologize to you guys." He eventually told the girl, and disappeared in a swirl of wind and dust. '_To be able to get a blade on Kankuro so easily…'_ he thought, '_She's good…'_

Reappearing in-between his two teammates, Gaara landed in a crouch but quickly stood. "We may have gotten here a bit early, but we didn't come to play around." He said, that last part clearly intended for Kankuro.

"I know that…" muttered said boy.

"Well then, what's your full name?" Noriko asked the redhead.

Said pre-teen narrowed his eyes on her face, taking note of the mask, and replied easily enough, "Sabaku no Gaara."

'_Heh, fitting, if what I suspect is true…'_ Noriko thought.

"I'm also a bit interested in you." Gaara stated. "Your name?"

"Uzumaki Noriko. We'll be seeing you in the exams, I think."

Gaara nodded in return and the three sand-nin soon vanished without seeing anything more. Noriko soon ushered away Konohamaru as well, both her and Shikamaru deep in thought. Before she left though, she made sure to shoot a killing intent laced glare at another seemingly innocent tree. The three sound ninja in froze for a moment before shaking off the momentary fear.

"So…what do you think?" asked one of another shivering slightly.

The only one of the three sitting down – apparently their leader – answered, licking his lips nervously beneath a mask of bandages. "We'll have to keep an eye on the redhead with the gourd and that blonde… Especially that blonde."

The Oto hitai-ate on his forehead gleamed slightly in a stray beam of sunlight.

.-.

When Shikamaru and Noriko finally reached the meeting point, they found Sasuke waiting impatiently, having been the only one to actually arrive on time. Getting the reason for their lateness out of his teammates he too became rather thoughtful.

But beneath the consideration was a carefully concealed excitement. Foreign genin being permitted in the village so easily only meant one thing – the Chunin Exams. By the time Kakashi got there though – at least an hour and a half later – the burgeoning excitement had been squashed under a mountain of familiar irritation at his jonin sensei.

"Sorry I'm late." The former Anbu greeted them cheerfully, "But this time I actually have a good reason!" he announced.

At this all three of them stared at him in utter disbelief.

"Oh, come on, I'm not that bad, am I?"

"Yes, yes you are, Kaka-sensei." Noriko replied, completely matter of fact.

He scowled at her for a moment, but gave it up soon enough. "Anyway, I've nominated you all for the Chunin exams taking place next week." He told them, holding out the forms. "Here are the applications." As they all took one he continued explaining the specifics to all of them, "This is just a nomination though, if you decided not to take it at the last minute that's fine. If you do wish to take it though, sign the papers and turn them in at room 301 at the Academy tomorrow by 4pm in exactly a week. And, that's about it."

"Now, who ready to go catch Tora?" Kakashi asked, holding up the mission scroll.

Simultaneous groans were his only answer.

* * *

**~ Author's Note ~**

* * *

Too many apologies to really take the time to say; I know I should have gotten this out sooner. Hopefully you're happier now, and I'll try to get another chapter out before August. On another note, I now have _fanart_ for this story! Woot! Many thanks to Luria for that, and you can find the links on my profile. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Can't say much other than that.

R&R…

~ Aljan Moonfire


	18. Chapter 17: The First Exam

**__Aljan Moonfire Does Not Own Naruto**

* * *

_**Chapter 17 – The First Exam**_

* * *

**A Cave, Somewhere in Tanima no Kuni (The Land of Valleys)…**

"The Chunin Exams are to be held in Konoha this year." The voice that had spoken was harsh, and clearly used to being immediately obeyed. It had come from a shadow seated cross legged on top of a large spire of rock. "Zetsu, what information have you been able to gather in regards to it."

The one who responded to the name was also an indistinct shadow, seated similarly atop a tall rock spire, though much more oddly shaped. What seemed much like the maw of a large, viciously teethed beast surrounded his head, and his eyes - the only thing about him readily visible - gleamed an unnerving yellow from between the spiky protrusions. Only one of them had a visible pupil. "**Orochimaru is** **planning to invade Konoha **_during the public third exam._" He said, his voice shifting oddly to an entirely different tone mid-sentence.

"The snake is as foolish as ever if he plans to do it with only that shabby little village he's cobbled together in Ta no Kuni (The Land of Rice)." The man who had spoken this time was a much larger shadow, with eyes of violent clashing acid green irises completely without pupils and bright red sclera. His voice was deep and deriding, but slightly muffled, as if he were speaking through a fairly thick mask.

"**No.**" Zetsu replied, "_He's somehow secured the aid of Sunagakure in_** his little venture.**"

"Heh. So the cock-sucker isn't that stupid. Jashin-sama will relish in the slaughter." The next shadow to speak was more slender, and obviously more foul-mouthed and bloodthirsty. He had distinctive violet eyes, and when he shifted slightly his hair bushed his shoulders.

"Two of the Jinchuuriki will clearly be involved in the fighting then." The first speaker broke in, finally opening his eyes to display concentric circles of gray and purple, that almost seemed to pulse with overt power. "That means he's interfering, especially if they end up dying – they're both only genin after all…" He seemed to muse on it quietly for a while longer, before he directed his attention back to the gathering. "This presents an opportunity." He then said, hypnotic eyes narrowing slightly. Eight shadows turned their attention to him unreservedly at the tone.

Four of them already described, the other five figures were just as odd. The first of those five was the shortest there. His body was squat and compact, almost hunched over even, and any limbs he had were well hidden by an enveloping cloak. Almost contrarily, his eyes were some of the most normal of the group, being only a beady black iris on a contrastingly large white iris.

The next was very slender, and had the longest hair of anyone there; when he turned his head it was clear that it completely covered his left eye – most of the rest of it was drawn into a high ponytail atop his head. His only visible eye was a slanted, almost glowing, blue.

The next shadow was clearly the largest one there. Even as a silhouette he resembled a shark, with his hair spiked up into a fin-like Mohawk style and small white eyes with pinprick pupils glinting with shallow amusement and a kind of carefully controlled perpetual bloodlust.

The last of them had no real distinguishing features; like the others though, he was wearing a cloak.

"Kisame, Itachi." He said, commandingly. The tallest and the last nodded in acknowledgement; if the last had opened his eyes, it was hard to tell. "You are the closest to Konoha. Infiltrate the third exam, and kill Orochimaru and retrieve his ring. Also, evaluate the Ichibi and the Kyuubi. If there is an opportunity, retrieve the Ichibi – for now, leave the Kyuubi to its own devices. We'll be sealing it last so we don't need it immediately."

Kisame nodded and grinned, sharp, shark-like teeth gleaming. "Sure thing, Boss." He said, a slightly sarcastic inflection to his voice making the seated man narrow his eyes slightly. Itachi on the other hand said nothing, just nodding again in recognition of the order.

Then he blinked, just once, and his eyes suddenly swirled with the hypnotic three tomoe of a mature sharingan.

.-.

**Two Days before the Chunin Exams…**

"Hey! Hey! Have you heard?" an exuberant male voice half-shouted.

"What?" a nonchalant female answered, spinning a kunai around her index finger.

"There's going to be rookie teams in the exams this year!"

"Really?" she answered skeptically. "No way! It's probably just some stubborn jounin competing or something."

"I also heard that three of them are Kakashi's students…"

"That sounds interesting…" mused a much colder male voice in a monotone. "Any idea who they are?"

"Well," the first speaker hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I heard that…s_he's_ one of them." He didn't have to say her name.

There was an abrupt clatter as the girl dropped the kunai she'd been spinning. At the same time a pair of pale lavender eyes snapped open sharply and focused intensely on the one who'd last spoken.

The exuberant speaker's appearance matched his voice to a tee. He wore a skin-tight spandex jumpsuit of an eye-searing green color, bright orange leg-warmers, and standard shinobi sandals. His hands were wrapped with slightly dirtied white bandages and his hitai-ate was wrapped around his waist. The boy's most distinctive features however, rested above his eyes in two extremely bushy eyebrows, and what he'd call an immensely youthful bowl-cut.

"Are you sure, Lee?" questioned the girl. Dressed much the same as she'd been when Noriko had visited her dad's weapon shop the week before, Tenten bit her lip nervously as she bent to retrieve her discarded weapon.

He just nodded.

The last member of Team 9 narrowed his pale eyes at this news, a strange mix of feelings welling in his chest, the foremost among them anticipation. Hyuga Neji looked much like your typical branch house Hyuga, but he was known as the greatest prodigy the clan had seen since the founding of the village. And he'd only ever been defeated by one person that held the same rank as him – Uzumaki Noriko.

It seemed he'd finally have a chance for a re-match.

.-.

**July 1st, the First Day of the Chunin Exams…**

Noriko had woken early that morning, Haku noticed as he wandered into the kitchen for some morning tea. The fixings for her normal breakfast were still laid out – six empty cups of instant ramen and an empty glass of what might have been milk – and he knew that when given a choice Zabuza would never wake before 10 am at the earliest.

Wondering where she had gotten to, Haku looked around both the library and a few of the other floors before he found her in the greenhouse. She was standing not far from her hammock, looking out over her forest into the distance, and humming ever so softly under her breath. There was a soft, wistful look in her eye as she did so, one that he hadn't ever seen there before. He, not wanting to interrupt her thoughts, and sure that she'd likely heard him walk up behind her, moved quietly to sit before the low table to the side.

As he did so, he listened to her hum, and wondered who she was thinking about with that look in her eye.

.-.

Noriko had, indeed noticed his approach, but most of her attention was far away, beyond the trees and the even the sky. Deep in her mind, memories flittered across the petals of a giant Sakura tree, and Arisa, seated below, looked up at the rustle of leaves.

The Bijuu had, over the years, come to know that every petal on the tree represented a memory, and every slight shade the most prominent emotions related to it. Even now though, she still couldn't quite divine her adopted daughter's thoughts. As she looked up, she was just able to catch glimpses of memory, sights and sounds rustling almost inaudibly in her ears as the branches shifted slightly; as if Noriko were pondering something that affected her deeply.

Her eyes saddened as she wondered, '_Is she thinking about him again? She shouldn't. Right now, there's nothing she can do for –'_

"Arisa?" Noriko's voice startled her out of her thoughts. Turning, she saw Noriko leaning, slightly dispiritedly, on the arm of her lounge chair.

"Yes?" she answered.

"If – when – I pass, I'll be closer to him." She said.

It wasn't really a question, but she answered it as one anyway. "Yes, you will."

"And I'll still be able to be with my team?"

"If that's what you want, I'm sure the Hokage will accede."

"Good." The younger of the two took a deep breath, firming her resolve, and closed her eyes.

Arisa blinked, and by the time she opened them again Noriko had already departed.

.-.

"Haku."

Said boy started a bit, but quickly calmed, seeing that it had been Noriko who had spoken. She had turned from the view, and was now approaching with a slightly sadistic smirk stretching up the corner of her mouth. "Noriko-sama?" he responded, feeling a bit apprehensive at the expression.

"Come with me." She said, "You can help me…prepare for the exam."

He winced almost reflexively – helping Noriko prepare for anything that might involve combat always ended in a quick spar, which was inevitably painful for her opponent. He sighed resignedly, "Yes, Noriko-sama."

She scowled at the title. "And how many times do I have to tell you to just call me Noriko?"

"At least one more time, Noriko-sama."

She huffed at the title, but didn't respond, knowing by now that it was basically hopeless to ask him for less formality, and led the way to the armory to pick up some extra weapons.

.-.

**A Few Hours Later…**

Noriko smiled slightly as she approached the academy, seeing Sasuke already there waiting, and Shikamaru - clearly still half asleep - leaning against the fence of the schoolyard. Walking up to them, she tapped Shikamaru on the shoulder, waking him from his doze, and nodded companionably at Sasuke with the same small smile stretching her lips beneath her mask. She carefully ignored the flush that always seemed to rise over his cheekbones whenever she smiled at him and continued to walk, the expression soon disappearing as she entered the academy grounds.

Her teammates quickly followed.

They soon found themselves momentarily stalled on the second floor, their way blocked by a small crowd of other genin. They all were looking towards a door to the side of the corridor for some reason, and the tension ruing through the crowd was clearly apparent. Though the crush of people hid the main doorway from sight, the sign above said doorway was still clearly visible.

It said 301.

"Idiots," muttered Sasuke scornfully.

Noriko hummed in agreement. "It seems they really can't tell that's a genjutsu."

"It should be obvious," Shikamaru mumbled, still tired. "This is only the second floor." He paused to let out a proper yawn, and then gestured vaguely at the crowd. "Should we…?" he began.

"No," Noriko answered. "If they're unskilled enough to be tripped up here, then they'd just die in the real exam anyway. Besides that, it makes for less unskilled competition."

The two boys nodded in agreement and edged inconspicuously around the group of complaining genin to continue towards the stairs to the next floor. Just as they reached the third floor, they were stopped by someone catching their attention from the floor below.

"Uzumaki." Obviously directed towards Noriko, the name wasn't shouted, but they clearly heard it anyway. They turned, almost simultaneously, to see who had spoken. Noriko smirked slightly at who it was, the expression half hidden, but no less infuriating to the person she responded to.

"Neji-kun," she almost purred, seemingly delighted, and blatantly enjoying the way his expression twisted at the tone. "How many times do I have to tell you? Call me _Noriko-chan_."

Neji scowled, his normally expressionless face tightening as he grit his teeth. '_She's making fun of me!' _he growled inwardly. "Uzumaki." He repeated, not responding to the invitation. "I will defeat you, Uzumaki." He declared, eyes narrowed, struggling to keep calm.

Her smirk just widened, "I'm sure," she began sarcastically, raising her visible eyebrow. Sasuke sighed and nudged her softly before she could really get into teasing him, nodding in the direction of the real room 301 when she glanced at him questioningly.

Finally dropping the smirk and the mocking tone of voice, she sighed and continued, "Well, you'll have to save it for the exam – and you'll have to get far enough in it to actually fight me." She gave a mocking wink – though it looked more like a blink, seeing as she only had one visible eye – and finished, "I suppose I'll see you there."

She turned and continued down the hall, her teammates falling into step beside her. "What was that all about?" Sasuke asked, confused.

She gave a soft chuckle, but quickly muffled it before it reached Neji's ears, and then wait a few seconds, until they we out of ear shot, to reply. "Well, I suppose it's not really funny, but I have met him before."

"Obviously…" Shikamaru muttered, finally fully awake.

She gave him a mild glare, but continued. "His name's Hyuga Neji. I first met him when I was temporarily placed on his team last year, around four or five months after he'd left the academy. His male teammate, a taijutsu specialist that goes by the name of Rock Lee, had been injured on a C-rank and needed to be hospitalized for a couple of weeks."

She paused to take a breath and continued, "I liked his teammates – Tenten, the girl, is nice, though very concentrated on being the best weapons mistress to ever come out of Konoha, and Lee's even more…passionate about his taijutsu." Sasuke and Shikamaru wondered slightly at the pause when she described Lee but didn't comment. They had stopped not far from the exam room to listen as they had a bit of time before they really needed to be there.

"Their sensei, Maito Gai… well, he's a very intense person too… I liked him though." She concluded. Before they could comment on her vague description of Team 9's sensei – and she could see Sasuke opening his mouth to ask out of the corner of her eye – she quickly kept speaking. "Anyway, when I first met Neji I thought he was the most arrogant, stuck-up, poker-faced, stick-up-the-ass, bastard I'd ever met. He was even worse than you were when I first met you," she directed at Sasuke teasingly, who mock grimaced in response.

"My opinion really hasn't changed all that much – though he is fun to tease." She added absently. Shikamaru rolled his eyes at that. It was one of her most commonly used criteria when she evaluated anything; whether or not it'd be amusing to torment. "The mission was an easy weeklong C-rank to eliminate some bandits, and when I got bored I occupied myself by playing with him a bit."

This time Shikamaru gave a sympathetic groan, finally feeling a bit of pity for the slightly older boy. When Noriko was bored, nothing good ever came of it. At least since she'd been with them she seemed to find entertainment in 'playing' with all of them equally. He shuddered slightly at the thought of being the sole victim to alleviate her ennui. Not missing the reaction, she gave the Nara a slightly more intense glare, though it had a playful edge.

"For some reason he didn't seem to find it all as funny as I did," she said, pretending to be confused. Sasuke snorted at this, and she gave him the same look that she'd just given Shikamaru. "After we got back he challenged me to a fight," they both winced and would have prayed for the poor guy's soul, if it wasn't already obvious that she'd gone easy on him - he was still alive after all. "He might have said something about getting revenge for some sort of humiliation - I'm not sure." She shrugged. "I beat him, clearly, and he made another silly vow of revenge. He's challenged me to one sort of fight or another every time we've met since." She made an annoyed face at this. "I suppose he'll likely take it as a personal insult if I make chunin and he doesn't." she finished exasperatedly.

Sasuke was about to say something, but he was interrupted before he could begin by the familiar voice of their sensei. "Well, as interesting as that all was, since you're all actually here," he glanced pointedly at Shikamaru when he said this; he'd almost expected the lazy shadow not showing up. This exam was the sort of thing he usually termed too troublesome for words. "You can now properly take the exam."

Sasuke in particular was surprised by the way he said it and immediately asked, "What do you mean?"

Kakashi paused a bit before answering and then said, "This exam can only be taken by teams of three."

"But you said it would be fine if one of us decided not to come at the last minute…" Shikamaru said with narrowed eyes.

"And it would have been. You'd all have just had to wait until the next time around to take the exams." They all frowned at that and since it looked like either Noriko or Sasuke were about to tear into him about it, he quickly continued, "But, you all did come, and of your own free will." He eye-smiled at them, "So get going!" he stepped to the side to let them pass and ushered them into the exam room.

"Hai!" they all said simultaneously, letting themselves be distracted, and moved forward together.

.-.

**Meanwhile, back with Neji…**

The Hyuga genius growled slightly as he watched his…rival turn and walk away from him. His fists clenched as he heard her give a faint laugh before she was out of ear shot. Angry blood roaring in his ears, he lashed out at the closest wall before he could control the impulse.

Slowly removing his fist from the crater he'd just made in the wall, he took a breath and calmed himself. '_I'll fight her soon enough, then she won't be able to look at me like that anymore…'_ His thoughts were then interrupted by the familiar voice of his female teammate.

"Are you okay, Neji?" she asked.

"I'm fine." He closed his eyes and took another breath before turning to face her. "Don't worry so much, Tenten." He told her with a very, very small smile.

She smiled back at him, relieved. Despite her teammate's small obsession with defeating Noriko, she will admit that he'd become much more personable since he'd first been beaten down by the blonde kunoichi. He smiled more, gave more of himself to everything he did – even Gai-sensei had recognized it, though he generally displayed his approval by calling Neji not only a Genius, but a Genius of Hard Work as well.

Lee seconded this just as vocally and soon began to train even harder than he had been to compensate; she hadn't thought that possible. She herself had also trained harder, just to keep up with them. Anyone she went up against in this exam would have to deal with far more then just a few thousand weapons being thrown at them.

"Ah! My Most Glorious of Teammates! What are you just standing here for! We must immediately proceed with the Exam!" The green suited boy crowed loudly as he sped past them and up the stairs, clearly in full 'Gai-imitation Mode'.

They just sighed, long since resigned to his endless enthusiasm, and followed, though at a much slower pace.

.-.

**In the First Exam Room…**

"Hmm… there's more people here than I thought there'd be," commented Noriko on taking in the sight of the exam room.

Her teammates nodded, agreeing. "Over a third of them seem to be Konoha teams though," Shikamaru said, eyes scanning the crowd and landing periodically on the many different hitai-ates. "I'm guessing a lot of the jounin with less experienced teams are taking the chance to enter them in order to give them some experience."

Sasuke was about to reply, but was interrupted before he could even begin by a soft, surprised female voice. "Sasuke-kun…"

Said boy turned and blinked several times, surprised. "…Sakura?" He was right to be shocked. The only thing that would've told you that the girl before him and his old fangirl were indeed the same person was the unmistakable pink hair, and even that was in a different style.

She was wearing black spandex leggings and a long-sleeved mesh shirt to start. On top of that was a short, dark green mini-skirt that just covered the upper part of her legs and a dark grey, lightly armored vest. Her hair had been cut almost boyishly short into an artfully messy style that suited the structure of her face, and she wore a green bandanna around her neck that could easily be used to hide the shocking color. To top it all off she wore a pair of padded gloves and light combat boots, as well as the standard kunai and shuriken pouches.

Hearing the interaction, her teammates also turned from where they'd been examining the crowd of genin. Inuzuka Kiba was the first to speak, "So you're here too, huh?" he said, smirking. Shino, silent as ever, just nodded in greeting, pushing his gasses up his nose as he did so.

"Seems so." Sasuke returned neutrally, moving his attention from the surprisingly changed girl to her brash teammate.

"Shikamaru!" the lazy boy turned to where his name had been called out from and gave a small grin at the sight of his best friend.

"Chouji," He returned good-naturedly, smiling and nodding in greeting.

"Well, aren't you going to at least say hi to me too?" an annoyingly screechy voice (at least in his opinion) exclaimed. "I've known you just as long as he has!"

"Ino…" he half groaned. He'd almost managed to forget that the most annoying girl he'd ever met was on the same team as his friend. "Troublesome girl…" he muttered.

"What did you say? Don't mumble, you lazy ass!" she snapped at him.

He just sighed, and then raised an eyebrow as his eyes fell on the last member of Team 10. Hyuga Hinata had definitely changed since the last time he saw her. She looked mostly the same, her clothes only slightly different – the missing fuzzy jacket was the most noticeable. But it was really the air around her than was different…she seemed much more confident. She stepped forward without hesitation to stand equally with her teammates, and when she noticed the Nara's eyes on her she met them without hesitation and smiled and nodded in greeting. He nodded back, intrigued.

Hearing loud exclamations from the conversation behind him, he turned his attention back to the commotion Kiba was causing with resignation. As the dog boy spoke, he seemed to focus most of his attention on Sasuke - who, he noticed, seemed to keep finding his eyes drawn back to Sakura, still shocked by her changes.

"All eight of this year's rookie genin are taking the exam," the dog boy was saying, Akamaru panting good naturedly atop his head. "I wonder how far we'll get, eh, Sasuke?" he exclaimed with a challenging smirk.

"Hn. You seem confident, Kiba." Sasuke said with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course!" he half-growled, just now noticing the other boys glances at his teammate. "We did a lot of training - there's no way we'd lose to you!"

At this Sakura elbowed him harshly, gave him a quelling glare, and finally spoke up, "He didn't mean it like that." She said, turning back to the Uchiha. "Sorry, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at that and looked back at Kiba only to be met with bared teeth and a harsh glare. "Hn." He grunted neutrally. Somehow, he doubted that.

Then their conversation was interrupted by a voice from the left side of the room. "Hey! You guys should be more quiet." The one who had spoken looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old. He had shoulder length silver hair, much like Kakashi's in color, but it was longer, not as spiky, and tied up off his neck in a rough ponytail. Messy bangs were held away from his face by his hitai-ate and as he spoke he pushed his glasses up his nose with a finger to the bridge.

"You guys are just out of the Academy, right." It wasn't a question. He cocked his hip slightly and put his hand on it. Noriko raised an eyebrow at his seeming arrogance, and the teen continued, "Screaming like schoolgirls…geez," he snorted, "This isn't a picnic."

"And just who do you think you are?" Ino exclaimed, stepping forward and frowning, annoyed.

"My name's Kabuto." He answered calmly. "But instead of that you should be looking behind you."

"Behind..?" Sakura repeated, turning to look where he'd indicated. The majority of the others followed suit, but Noriko and her team kept their eyes on Kabuto warily, having already assessed the threat levels of the rest of the genin. The other rookies though only sensed the moderate levels of killing intent the large crowd of genin were emitting as they turned around and the majority of them immediately blanched, the more timid of them drawing back slightly.

"Those guys over there," he made a general gesture in the direction of a group of three with particularly long hair and sharp glares, "are from Amegakure, and notorious for their short tempers. But everyone's nervous about this exam so you might want to quiet down before you cause a real scene." He suggested with a smug smirk.

When none of them replied to this, a few looking apprehensive but more of them a bit annoyed at his superior tone, he faltered a bit before continuing. "Well, I can't really blame you; you're just clueless rookies. In fact, you remind me a bit of how I used to be." As he said this he began to dig into his kunai pouch, clearly looking for something.

"Kabuto-san…right?" Sakura interjected, looking slightly nervous.

"Yeah?"

"Is this your second exam then?" she asked, curious despite herself.

"Nope – this'll be my seventh exam." When they all looked shocked at this he elaborated more, "The exams are held bi-annually. This is my fourth year."

"So, you must know a lot about the exams - ," Sakura began, a glint her eye.

Kiba just huffed and interrupted the pinkette. "Wow, you must really suck then!" he exclaimed, only to let out a painful sounding grunt when Sakura gave him a harsh elbow to make him shut up.

As she turned back to begin to pump the older genin for more info about the exams, she found she didn't need to as he was already speaking. "Heh, how about I share some info with you cute rookies, then?" he suggested teasingly. He plainly ignored Kiba's comment as he waved a deck of oddly backed cards in the air. "And I'll do it with these nifty nin-fo cards…"

At this point Noriko mostly tuned them out, though she did continue to keep half an ear on the conversation as she stared at the silver-haired teen with a blank expression. The boy had watched them for a time before he'd approached them – he also seemed to be paying the most attention to Sasuke, and he definitely very wary of her as well. None of the genin should have any real reason to be wary of her unless they'd seem her fight, and she'd never been placed on his team – even temporarily.

That means he might have knowledge of things he most certainly shouldn't. Worst case, he'd somehow managed to get his hands on one of the S-class secrets surrounding her – such as her supposed Jinchuuriki status. It would explain his wariness of her, at the very least. Likely because of her being a genin for so long though, most of the civilians, and quite a few of the lower ranked shinobi, had begun to underestimate her. They had begun to think that since she didn't rise up in the ranks quickly, she must not be that dangerous. That she must not be _that_ strong.

They were quite certainly wrong - but there was still no real reason for him to be especially wary of her. And he was. Despite the attention he paid Sasuke, and indirectly the rest of the rookies, he kept a suspiciously subtle eye on her. Aside from the wariness he treated her with though, there were other things about him that were suspicious – his chakra, for one.

He said that this was his seventh time taking the exam – but his chakra was at the level of a decent jounin, and the control she could sense he had of it was on par with that of a very good medic-nin. There's no way he could have failed that many times with that good of a handle on his chakra unless he wanted to - and he might very well be suppressing his chakra slightly as well.

She didn't like him at all, but she had to be fair - he also smelled of snakes.

She hated snakes.

However, there really was nothing conclusive pointing to suspicious activity on his part, no matter how much she wanted to see something there. She'd just have to wait, and watch – and maybe hunt him down to get some answers in her Forest during the second part of the exams.

Having finally settled on a course of action, she turned the rest of her attention back to Kabuto's little presentation of his 'nin-fo' cards.

"…there some guys you're worried about?" the silver haired ninja was saying to Sasuke. "Of course…I have info on all of the people participating this time around – it isn't perfect, but I have it. I even have stuff on you guys. Give me someone, and I'll take a look." He offered.

"Gaara of Sunagakure," Sasuke said, after thinking for a moment. He was curious about the boy his teammates had encountered. "Hyuga Neji," He also wanted more information about the boy who kept on challenging Noriko. "And me." He said with a slight smirk. '_I want to know just how accurate his information is…' _he thought.

"Oh? If you know their names then this should be easy." Was all Kabuto said, though he seemed surprised at the boy asking for what he had on him. He shuffled through them quickly, and pulled out three cards.

"Show me." Sasuke commanded, when the teen seemed to hesitate.

"Alright." He flipped the first around. "The first is Hyuga Neji. He's a year older than you guys, and graduated at the top of his class – rookie of the year. He has completed 20 D-rank missions and 12 C-rank missions since. His sensei is Maito Gai. As a Hyuga his taijutsu is obviously impressive, and he is a known Jyuken prodigy. Last year he gained quite a bit of attention as a very talented genin, but did not participate in the exams. Like you, this is his first time."

He took a breath and flipped around the next card. "Next is Sabaku no Gaara. He has successfully completed 8 C-ranks, and one B-rank – wow a B-rank as a genin…" he trailed off, almost seeming surprised by his own information. The he shook himself and continued. "Since he's a newcomer from a foreign country I don't have much other info, but…" he hesitated, "It seems he returned from all of his missions without a single scratch."

Then he took a breath and turned around the last – Sasuke's card. "I don't know why you wanted this one, but it'll be nice to see how accurate it is." He gave a smirk to the boy, and continued, "Uchiha Sasuke - the last Uchiha. Graduated from the Academy as the rookie of the year. Has completed 9 D-ranks, 5 C-ranks, and one…" his eyes widened as he read it, "…one A-rank!" he wasn't the only one to turn shocked eyes on Team 7. Sasuke ignored it and motioned for him to continue. "Primary strengths rest in Ninjutsu and minor genjutsu. Teammates are Nara Shikamaru and Uzumaki Noriko."

Soon seeming to shake off the minor shock of the successful A-rank, Kabuto turned to the rest of the rookies and began what seemed to be to Noriko to be carefully prepared speech. "Konoha, Suna, Ame (Rain), Kiri (Mist), Taki (Waterfall), Oto (Sound)…. Tons of outstanding genin from various hidden villages are her to take this exam - well, Otogakure is a small village, just recently created over the past year, so I don't have much info on it, but… the rest of the Villages filled with supremely talented genin."

"So, basically…" Sakura interrupted, "All of the people here are…"

"Yup!" Kabuto said, smirking nastily. "Like Neji and Gaara – and even Sasuke here – they are the top elite genin from all the various countries." Noriko poked Sasuke on the shoulder in lieu of a slap to the head to deflate his ego and remind him that she was still there. "There's no way this is going to be easy." Kabuto finished, oblivious.

.-.

"Heh ~? Otogakure is a minor village?" an eavesdropper growled angrily, hidden from the rookies by crowd. "Let's play with them a bit…"

"Heh he. Good idea; calling us leftovers…"

"But, Dosu, I thought you said we should avoid that girl," said the only female of the team.

"Shut up." He snapped back at her, but considered her words. "No, we'll just play with him – as long as we don't attack her directly it should be fine. It's pretty bad luck that she's on the same team as Sasuke-kun though…" he mumbled towards the end. He then shook his head and said a bit louder, an angry eye focusing on Kabuto. "Let's help him add to his data…that Oto shinobi can be quite vicious."

.-.

Noriko suddenly sensed a swift movement trough the crowd, but the intent wasn't focused on her… It was directed at Kabuto.

Darting her eye towards his face, she was surprised to see him smirk, and only shift slightly. She narrowed her eye. He was planning to use this attack – whatever it was – to make people underestimate him. A good strategy, technically, but still… there was something off about it…

Suddenly, there was a dark haired shinobi flying above the crowd and he twisted in mid air to throw a couple of kunai towards Kabuto, who jumped back on reflex – right into the range of another nin – one who was clearly a partner to the one in the air. Suddenly the masked ninja was right in his face, one hand forming a seal before his covered mouth as the other drew back to swing.

'_These are Oto-nin…'_ Kabuto thought on caching sight of the hitai-ate, startled, as he moved to dodge the punch.

'_So he dodged it…'_ Sasuke thought, as Kabuto gave a triumphant smirk. '_He has decent speed…'_

Then, suddenly, his glasses cracked, and then shattered completely. '_I see.'_ Kabuto thought, '_This kind of attack…'_

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked Shikamaru quietly. "He dodged it, so why did his glasses…?"

"It might have just glanced off his nose," the Nara said doubtfully. Then Kabuto shuddered and hunched over, throwing up on the ground in front of him, and just missing getting it all over himself. '_And there goes that theory,_' the lazy nin thought.

The sound genin, their female member having turned up at some point smirked, and one of them gave a small, arrogant, laugh.

Sakura glared at them and hurried over to the silver-haired teen. "Are you alright, Kabuto-san?" she asked him.

"I'm fine," he attempted to reassure her, wiping the remains of his vomit from his face with a disgusted grimace.

"How pathetic," the masked one sneered, shifting his shoulders to adjust the spiky, furry, monstrosity on them to a more comfortable position. "Especially because, aren't you a four year veteran?" he asked derisively.

"Write this down in those stupid cards of yours," said the one who had thrown those kunai. "The Otogakure ninja are definite future chunins."

'_But he dodged it completely…'_ Sasuke was still thinking, '_so why..?'_

"Lee, that attack…?" Neji asked, having watched the exchange from across the room.

"No problems seeing the speed, of course. There must be some trick to it – likely in that gauntlet. Destroy that right off the bat and it shouldn't be a problem." Lee replied, serious for once.

Suddenly, clouds of smoke erupted from the front of the exam room, and a shot echoed from behind it, "Quiet down! You worthless bastards!"

The smoke quickly dispersed to display a heavily scarred jounin in a long black trench coat at the for-front of a group of at least twenty chunin. The examiners had arrived.

"Thanks foe waiting." He said sarcastically with a menacing smirk. "I'm Morino Ibiki – Head Examiner for the Chunin Selection Exam's first test."

The majority of the gathered genin gave a collective gulp, intimidated by the examiner's presence. Then Morino pointed with a deliberate finger at the three sound genin. "You Otogakure idiots - stop doing as you please, even before the exam has officially begun. Do you want to fail before you even start?" he asked with a frown made all the more alarming by the way it bunched and stretched his facial scars.

"I apologize…" the masked leader said, unbowed by the atmosphere. "This is our first time – we got a bit carried away…"

"Bah." Morino snorted, and said, "Here's a good opportunity to say this," he began, increasing his intent slightly as he did so. "There will be no fighting without the permission of the examiner." He stated, glaring at all of the genin equally now. "Even if permission is granted, killing your opponent will still not be tolerated with out the expression permission of your examiner." Dark eyes glared out from beneath his hitai-ate, "Those pigs that disobey me will be failed immediately. Do I make myself clear?" It wasn't a question.

Perhaps due to the ban against killing – or perhaps just as a form of bravado, one of the sound genin smirked and said, "This exam is sounding easy."

But all eyes were now focused on Morino Ibiki. "The First Test begins now."

* * *

**~ Author's Note ~ **

Please don't kill me. Sorry I'm so late… I could give at least twenty reasons and excuses…the most recent of which is the crazy, crazy, holidays and a new job.

So, here's chapter 17 – the beginning of the Chunin Exams. I tried to make it a decent length to make up for any delays, and I hope you like the new developments. Next time will move us through the first test, and maybe the second too. We'll see.

Till then, and Happy New Year,

~ Aljan Moonfire ~


	19. Rewrite Notice

The rewrite is now up everyone!

It is posted as Noriko: Tails of a Fox.

I hope you all enjoy it!


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